I'm not entirely sure where this came from, but I kind of like it… it's from Hunter's prompt.

"You have to come with me."

"What?"

"Now."

"Why!?"

"You were right. The sky will fall today. But not on us. We can be above the clouds when that happens."

"But I'm not ready to fly."

"Come on. You trust me, don't you?"

~~~

That made me pause a second, true. Looking into his hazel-gold eyes. I'd trusted him so often, with so much. ~~~ Maybe too much? ~~~ And if I had to trust him with one more thing, was that really something I couldn't do, could I really refuse him this? After so long?

~~~

"But the sky. Today? That's too soon."

"I know. I know you don't want to fly.

But sometimes that doesn't matter. Sometimes, you have to fly."

"If there's no sky, will there still be clouds?"

"Yes."

~~~

he whispered it, looking sure enough to convince me, our destiny a heartbeat away. "Above the clouds when that happens." could we be? I was faltering suddenly. So many unexplained promises that he was suddenly giving to me… so suddenly that my hands were overflowing with them and I couldn't even catch them all.

~~~

"I…"

"I'm offering you life."

"I know."

"Don't you want life?"

"Yes."

"Come on. It's the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, the rainbow at the end of the rain.

"The beginning of sunlight after the storm."

"But why now? A few minutes more?"

"No. The sky is a bubble. Most beautiful from the outside."

"Yes, I know."

"You've caught its iridescence, its luster, its allure. Come on. Are you really going to refuse it?"

"Especially when it's my only chance, right?"

"Right. Come on. It's not difficult."

"Yes, I know…"

~~~

Not difficult, suddenly, because of the expression in his eyes. Not difficult, suddenly, because being above the clouds is my dream. Not difficult because he's a heartbeat away and the present is already here. And suddenly he's my everything. Everything.

~~~

"Ready, Stormi?"

"I'm ready, Ryan."

~~~

Yes, I'm ready.

"You have to come with me."

"What?"

"Now."

"Why…?"

"You were right. The sky will fall today. But not on us… We can be above the clouds when that happens."

~~~

– The pendulum swung, black and fourth, prefectly in sync with the tick of time, it swung as if it were moving by itself, or a hand that emerged from the heavens was guiding it with fingers of silk. It made no sound, yet I could hear the impact it was about to make. Even in the dim light, I could still make out the iridescence of the opal it was crafted from; fire, dancing across its surface, waiting…waiting to be set free.

– My face twisted into a grimace the moment the truth dawned on me.

It was never real.

It was just a illusion, crafted by a skilled magician.

Meant to entice, to amaze, to desire for.

My mind reeled though the memories.

The memories of you.

You.

Yes, you, wicked creature.

The one that left me to die, that promised me everything.

And left me with nothing.

This whole time, I though…I though it was real.

That you actually…cared.

You told me.

You promised me.

And now, I feel my face forming a smile.

Why? 

Because nothing will stand in my way.

I will tear this world apart.

I will burn it if I have too.

I will hunt you till you have nowhere to run 

You will see my rage.

You will fear me.

You thought I was weak?

Easy too fool, to manipulate? 

But by the time you realize your mistake,

It will be too late.

Okay I got kind of carried away with the last one, but feel free to change anything!

Some more prompts~

> It was the smell of lavender.

Or maybe jasmine. She couldn't remember.

Or maybe she just didn't want to remember.

> A broken heart that only the song of peace can make new again

> A glass window, stained with hopes and truces and broken hopes and truces and remade hopes and truces and new hopes and truces and old hopes and truces and neverending hopes and truces, and so you could call it a stained glass window even if no one ever did

> But there was always another broken promise

> "I thought you betrayed me."

"Yes. You thought."

> His name was __ and he liked to make typos.

I used one of Amethyst's prompts!

It was the smell of lavender. Or maybe jasmine. She couldn’t remember. Or maybe she just didn’t want to remember. Something about it felt familiar, nonetheless. It had something to do with the place she came from before she decided to go off on her own to explore the big wide world. Both the best thing she’d ever done and the worst mistake she’d ever make.

Either way, she tried to shrug it off. She told herself that none of this was familiar, and that no one from then would have come here in search of her or anything. If so, they would’ve done so already. But years had passed, and no one seemed to care. Which was the way she wanted it, or so she told herself.

She stepped into the local apothecary, greeted by the rich, earthy aroma of aged herbs and dried flowers that permeated the air. Behind the cluttered counter at the back, a young man stood amidst a small assortment of items: a jar brimming with old coins, several tarnished measuring spoons, and a scattering of brittle, fragrant leaves. 

“Greetings, Calypso,” the man said, using the cover name she used once she left her homeland.

Calypso nodded back. “I have come merely to replenish my stock of remedies for coughs. Anything new around town?”

“I am certain you’ve caught wind of it, but I’ll speak of it in case it has yet to reach your ears.” The man’s voice fell to a grave whisper as he said, “The Calmor imperial soldiers have breached the outskirts of our kingdom.”

Calypso’s heart thundered in her chest. “How…far have they pushed into Brynthia?” she whispered, dread lacing her voice. Brynthia—her cherished homeland, vast and unexplored, where half of its wonders still lay hidden to her eyes. Now, all of it stood on the brink of being devoured by the ruthless Calmor Empire.

“Too far,” the man said with a grim nod. “Thank the heavens my family lives near the palace. Those soldiers will never get that far.”

“Have…have they reached…” She hesitated, her voice trembling as she fought to keep her true self concealed. The thought of her hometown in peril was almost too much to bear. “Have they reached Mirell?”

The man paused, trying to recall the names of the invaded towns which were listed, each second stretching into an eternity for Calypso. The silence was a heavy shroud of dread. At last, he spoke, his voice heavy with the grim news. “I…I’m afraid so, Calypso.”

Calypso’s breath caught in her throat, her face draining of color. “No…No, it can’t be true…” Her mind raced with images of her hometown, burned and decimated to the ground—hundreds of lives lost, many of whom she knew. In that moment, she realized that she had to do something, to protect everything she’d ever loved, despite not wanting to face her past ever again.

She raced out of the apothecary, her footsteps pounding like her heart. She thought of all her explorations, learning how to fight and protect herself. If she could protect herself, then she could protect Mirell.

As she finally arrived at Mirell, the weight of her past crashed over her like a storm. Her forgotten name, her lost, true identity, her care for her hometown, all resurfaced with a painful clarity. And above all, the familiar scent of lavender and jasmine lingering in the air. With resolve hardening her voice, she drew her sword and proclaimed with fierce determination, “I am Isidora Sableth. I have come to defend Mirell, no matter the cost.” 

I came up with this prompt when I was about to fall asleep last night:

It's the future and everyone is using AI, but things start to fall apart and so humanity decides to stop using it for good.

But. The. AI. Gets. Mad.