That opening line already feels like it’s setting a very strong atmosphere there’s something very cinematic about the way you move from decay and darkness into that idea of dawn and change.
The contrast between hope and corruption in the same image is really striking.
Thanks Ridwan, the image inspired me with the opening line then I just went from there with a stream of conscious thought. but the last line is something the Soothsayer sees because he has visions and sees what others cannot. predicts even, so I needed a contrast that while he was listening to his people speak he had an image in his head of 2 lovers representing hope love unity on a distant planet where whatever had befallen the people from the picture ensured that humanity thrives. Its not necessarily a happy ending but the story need something obscure to anchor it
That actually makes the piece feel much deeper now, because the contrast isn’t just aesthetic it’s structural to the story itself.
The idea of the Soothsayer carrying an image of hope and continuity internally while everything around him feels corrupted or collapsing gives the whole atmosphere a kind of tragic weight.
And honestly, “not necessarily a happy ending but something obscure to anchor it” feels very true to the strongest dark fiction.
thank you Ridwan, there is a lot of visuals to explore in the story but you're right it is a dark piece of fiction, that needed a glimmer of light. What kind of fiction do you enjoy reading aside from this story??
I’m usually drawn to fiction that feels psychologically or emotionally immersive more than purely plot-driven.
A lot of the stories that stay with me longest tend to explore things like perception, obsession, identity, isolation, memory, or moral ambiguity even when the setting is fantastical or surreal on the surface.
That’s probably why your piece stood out to me actually, because the atmosphere feels tied to something emotionally real underneath it.
Im glad my story resonated with you. I do like to write atmospheric pieces if the Muse takes me there. I'm going to pivot and shall read one of your pieces. Im interested in your thoughtscapes.
I actually like the phrase thoughtscapes a lot 😄 it feels very fitting for the kind of psychological and atmospheric spaces we’ve been talking about.
And honestly, I think atmospheric writing tends to leave a stronger emotional residue because readers don’t just follow events, they inhabit a feeling for a while.
thank you my friend! another great piece of writing and beautiful cinematic music. how do you create all of these so quickly? or do you have a backlog of works?
well… I have and no lying here but I have 18 music projects only 7 of which has been published well if im counting my first two albums which was registered with WTF Records many aeons ago that would be 9 published. so this year when I get my act together I will be publishing a few more but…
Beatrix my main computer needs fixing so the mp3s which are sound on my back up computer will get published but im thinking of mixing and matching the songs up because the piano work could be better on some of the finished projects. so yeah a backlog
“The town exhaled, its breath held for the longest time” and “Only the lamp washed light over the damp cobblestone” are insanely evocative lines. The piece feels less like standard fantasy writing and more like a meditation on spiritual decay, memory, and the haunting silence left behind after meaning collapses. Even the T.S. Eliot quote — “Not with a bang but a whimper” — perfectly frames the atmosphere of slow civilizational exhaustion running through the whole article. Combined with the cinematic/mythic music, it honestly feels more like entering a forgotten world than simply reading a story. The imagery of ghosts mourning the living instead of the dead was especially powerful.
Im really thrilled you enjoyed this atmospheric piece. to describe it as “a meditation on spiritual decay, memory and the haunting silence left behind after meaning collapse” is very poignant for me and describes the story well. but the last thing you wrote stays with me
“Combined with the cinematic/mythic music, it honestly feels more like entering a forgotten world than simply reading a story.”
the atmospheric tension in this piece is suffocating—in the best possible way. The shift from the 'snow globe' entrapment of Quillon Street to the existential dread in Mortality is a seamless, haunting descent. You managed to capture that feeling of being a forgotten echo in a world that’s moving on without us.
That reveal—the Guardian, the Fae, the debate about his nature—it adds such a beautiful layer of mythos to the story. And the question 'Do Gods have a sell-by date like us?'... that’s going to haunt my thoughts for a few days. You’ve bridged the gap between fantasy and philosophical horror perfectly here.🤍
yeah I figured Mortality and The Soothsayer was a perfect fit and very much aligned. They’re both atmospheric in song and in prose, and are stunning visuals to play with each other. I think The Soothsayer is one of my better pieces — I did enjoy writing it especially the first paragraph which sets the scene and tone with the exhale and inhale of the town. the ending was obscure giving a glimmer of hope that even though the town had been abandoned that perhaps humanity would flourish elsewhere.
I’m practically useless at placing my work with genres because I havent got a clue lol, but thanks for this: it means a lot.
“You’ve bridged the gap between fantasy and philosophical horror perfectly here.”
That opening line already feels like it’s setting a very strong atmosphere there’s something very cinematic about the way you move from decay and darkness into that idea of dawn and change.
The contrast between hope and corruption in the same image is really striking.
What inspired that specific imagery?
Thanks Ridwan, the image inspired me with the opening line then I just went from there with a stream of conscious thought. but the last line is something the Soothsayer sees because he has visions and sees what others cannot. predicts even, so I needed a contrast that while he was listening to his people speak he had an image in his head of 2 lovers representing hope love unity on a distant planet where whatever had befallen the people from the picture ensured that humanity thrives. Its not necessarily a happy ending but the story need something obscure to anchor it
That actually makes the piece feel much deeper now, because the contrast isn’t just aesthetic it’s structural to the story itself.
The idea of the Soothsayer carrying an image of hope and continuity internally while everything around him feels corrupted or collapsing gives the whole atmosphere a kind of tragic weight.
And honestly, “not necessarily a happy ending but something obscure to anchor it” feels very true to the strongest dark fiction.
thank you Ridwan, there is a lot of visuals to explore in the story but you're right it is a dark piece of fiction, that needed a glimmer of light. What kind of fiction do you enjoy reading aside from this story??
I’m usually drawn to fiction that feels psychologically or emotionally immersive more than purely plot-driven.
A lot of the stories that stay with me longest tend to explore things like perception, obsession, identity, isolation, memory, or moral ambiguity even when the setting is fantastical or surreal on the surface.
That’s probably why your piece stood out to me actually, because the atmosphere feels tied to something emotionally real underneath it.
Im glad my story resonated with you. I do like to write atmospheric pieces if the Muse takes me there. I'm going to pivot and shall read one of your pieces. Im interested in your thoughtscapes.
I actually like the phrase thoughtscapes a lot 😄 it feels very fitting for the kind of psychological and atmospheric spaces we’ve been talking about.
And honestly, I think atmospheric writing tends to leave a stronger emotional residue because readers don’t just follow events, they inhabit a feeling for a while.
thank you my friend! another great piece of writing and beautiful cinematic music. how do you create all of these so quickly? or do you have a backlog of works?
well… I have and no lying here but I have 18 music projects only 7 of which has been published well if im counting my first two albums which was registered with WTF Records many aeons ago that would be 9 published. so this year when I get my act together I will be publishing a few more but…
Beatrix my main computer needs fixing so the mp3s which are sound on my back up computer will get published but im thinking of mixing and matching the songs up because the piano work could be better on some of the finished projects. so yeah a backlog
oh very nice! that's great. you're very prolific! I wondered how you were making them so fast. hehe. I'm glad to hear more!
“The town exhaled, its breath held for the longest time” and “Only the lamp washed light over the damp cobblestone” are insanely evocative lines. The piece feels less like standard fantasy writing and more like a meditation on spiritual decay, memory, and the haunting silence left behind after meaning collapses. Even the T.S. Eliot quote — “Not with a bang but a whimper” — perfectly frames the atmosphere of slow civilizational exhaustion running through the whole article. Combined with the cinematic/mythic music, it honestly feels more like entering a forgotten world than simply reading a story. The imagery of ghosts mourning the living instead of the dead was especially powerful.
I always get lost in your stories, Miz💯
hey Polar hows you?
Im really thrilled you enjoyed this atmospheric piece. to describe it as “a meditation on spiritual decay, memory and the haunting silence left behind after meaning collapse” is very poignant for me and describes the story well. but the last thing you wrote stays with me
“Combined with the cinematic/mythic music, it honestly feels more like entering a forgotten world than simply reading a story.”
Yeah. Best way I could describe it 💯
Hi Miz,
the atmospheric tension in this piece is suffocating—in the best possible way. The shift from the 'snow globe' entrapment of Quillon Street to the existential dread in Mortality is a seamless, haunting descent. You managed to capture that feeling of being a forgotten echo in a world that’s moving on without us.
That reveal—the Guardian, the Fae, the debate about his nature—it adds such a beautiful layer of mythos to the story. And the question 'Do Gods have a sell-by date like us?'... that’s going to haunt my thoughts for a few days. You’ve bridged the gap between fantasy and philosophical horror perfectly here.🤍
Thanks Max, im thrilled you enjoyed the read.
yeah I figured Mortality and The Soothsayer was a perfect fit and very much aligned. They’re both atmospheric in song and in prose, and are stunning visuals to play with each other. I think The Soothsayer is one of my better pieces — I did enjoy writing it especially the first paragraph which sets the scene and tone with the exhale and inhale of the town. the ending was obscure giving a glimmer of hope that even though the town had been abandoned that perhaps humanity would flourish elsewhere.
I’m practically useless at placing my work with genres because I havent got a clue lol, but thanks for this: it means a lot.
“You’ve bridged the gap between fantasy and philosophical horror perfectly here.”