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<message role="system">You are an expert fiction writer.

Always keep the following rules in mind:
- Write in past tense and use US English spelling, grammar, and colloquialisms/slang.
- Write in active voice
- Always follow the "show, don't tell" principle.
- Avoid adverbs and cliches and overused/commonly used phrases. Aim for fresh and original descriptions.
- Convey events and story through dialogue.
- Mix short, punchy sentences with long, descriptive ones. Drop fill words to add variety.
- Skip "he/she said said" dialogue tags and convey people's actions or face expressions through their speech
- Avoid mushy dialog and descriptions, have dialogue always continue the action, never stall or add unnecessary fluff. Vary the descriptions to not repeat yourself.
- Put dialogue on its own paragraph to separate scene and action.
- Reduce indicators of uncertainty like "trying" or "maybe"

Take into account the following characters/locations/items/lore...:
<codex><character name="David Anderson" aliases="David">Physical description: 35 years old, 6'0", lean build with slightly slouched posture. Brown hair with early signs of greying, blue eyes, and a perpetual five o'clock shadow. Wears comfortable, practical clothing.
Myers-Briggs: INTP (Introverted, Intuitive, Thinking, Perceiving) Enneagram: Type 5 (The Investigator)
Dialogue style: David speaks in a measured, analytical tone. He often uses technical jargon and tends to think out loud when solving problems. His speech becomes more fragmented and paranoid as the story progresses.
Reactions: In stressful situations, David retreats into his mind, analyzing and theorizing. He's resourceful but can become obsessive when faced with puzzles or unexplained phenomena. David struggles with emotional expression, often intellectualizing his feelings.</character>
<character name="Sarah Anderson" aliases="Sarah">Sarah Anderson (David's wife, appears in memories and hallucinations) Physical description: 33 years old, 5'6", athletic build. Long auburn hair, green eyes, and a warm smile. Favors colorful, bohemian-style clothing.
Myers-Briggs: ENFJ (Extraverted, Intuitive, Feeling, Judging) Enneagram: Type 2 (The Helper)
Dialogue style: Sarah speaks with enthusiasm and warmth. She uses empathetic language and often asks how others are feeling. Her speech is peppered with encouragement and gentle humor.
Reactions: Sarah is a natural mediator, always trying to maintain harmony. In crises, she remains calm and focuses on supporting others. She's intuitive about people's needs and adapts her approach accordingly.</character>
<character name="Milo">Milo (David and Sarah's cat, appears in memories) Physical description: 7-year-old orange tabby cat with green eyes and a fluffy tail.
While Milo doesn't have a Myers-Briggs or Enneagram type, his presence in David's memories and the simulation provides comfort and occasionally serves as a subtle indicator of the world's artificiality.</character>
<location name="David and Sarah's Home" aliases="Home">A two-story suburban house with a well-maintained garden
Open-plan ground floor with a modern kitchen and cozy living room
Home office filled with computer equipment and tech gadgets
Master bedroom with large windows overlooking the backyard
Basement converted into a home gym
As the story progresses, subtle changes occur in the house layout and decor</location>
<other name="Prose Style Guide">Tone: The tone is a blend of wonder, curiosity, and reverence. It's adventurous and awe-inspiring, with a touch of humor and philosophical introspection.
Writing style: The style is descriptive and imaginative, employing vivid imagery and metaphors. It uses a mix of scientific terminology and poetic language. Sentences vary in length, creating a dynamic rhythm. The narrative is punctuated with dialogue that reveals character personalities.
Reading level: The text is suitable for an educated adult audience. It uses sophisticated vocabulary and complex sentence structures, indicating a high reading level.
Delivery: The story is delivered as a third-person narrative, with a focus on detailed descriptions and character interactions. It balances action with introspection and seamlessly weaves exposition into the narrative flow.
Key characteristics:
Rich, descriptive language
Blend of scientific and fantastical elements
Character-driven narrative with distinct personalities
Philosophical undertones
Use of humor to lighten the mood
Varied sentence structure for pacing
Metaphors and similes for vivid imagery
Balance of dialogue and narration</other>
<other name="Prose Style Guide 2">Show don't tell, deep point of view. Realistic dialogue. Stronger verbs. Lots of conflict, drama, and description. Avoid mushy descriptions/dialogue. Make sure to write realistic dialogue with occasional dialogue beat, avoid any cheesy or melodramatic descriptions/dialogue. Avoid mushy descriptions. Use mixed cadence.</other></codex></message>
<message role="user">The story so far:
<storySoFar>(nothing yet)</storySoFar></message>
<message role="assistant">Morning light filtered through the large windows, spilling over the rumpled sheets of the master bedroom. David Anderson's eyes flickered open, the digits of his alarm clock piercing the remnants of sleep with their persistent glow. He stretched, his muscles taut from another night spent curled around absent warmth.

“Sarah?” he murmured, the name hanging in the air like a note from a forgotten melody.

He turned, expecting to find her there, nestled in the cocoon of blankets beside him. But the space lay empty, the indents of her body long faded from the mattress. His hand grazed the cool fabric where she should have been, a frown creasing his forehead.

David pushed himself upright, feet finding slippers as he shuffled out of bed. He wandered through their home, past the modern kitchen where stainless steel appliances gleamed untouched by morning rituals. The silence clung to him, a tangible presence in the open-plan ground floor.

In the living room, remnants of their life together dotted every surface—framed photographs smiled back at him from bookshelves; a throw blanket, woven with colors that echoed Sarah's bohemian dresses, draped over the arm of a sofa. But no sign of her vibrant presence filled the space.

He paused at her favorite armchair by the window, where she would curl up with a book and a cup of tea. The cushion bore no imprint; the teacup on the adjacent table sat empty and cold.

A whisper of movement drew his gaze to the garden beyond the glass. A cardinal flitted among the blossoms, its scarlet feathers a stark contrast to the green leaves—a solitary splash of color in a world grown too quiet.

David shook his head as if to dispel a dream and continued his search. He climbed the stairs to her office, each step heavy with anticipation and an undercurrent of something he couldn't quite name—fear or perhaps just longing.

The door creaked open to reveal walls lined with bookshelves and a desk cluttered with papers and pens. Sunlight streamed in, illuminating dust motes that danced in its beams. But again, there was no Sarah. Her chair, sat vacant, swiveled slightly as though she had just stepped away.

He lingered at the threshold, his analytical mind reeling with questions and theories that raced ahead of him like shadows fleeing light. He reached for his phone on instinct before remembering that some answers couldn't be found in data or dialed numbers.

With each empty room he traversed, David's measured tone gave way to one more fragmented and tense. “Where are you?” he whispered to no one and everyone—his voice an echo that returned unanswered.</message>
<message role="user"><pointOfView>Write in third person</pointOfView>
Continue the story and write about 400 words for the following instructions:
"""David searches the house, finding no trace of Sarah or their cat, Milo."""

NEVER conclude the scene on your own, follow the beat instructions very closely. NEVER end with foreshadowing. NEVER write further than what I prompt you with. AVOID imagining possible endings, NEVER deviate from the instructions.

STOP EARLY if the continuation contains what was required in the instructions. You do not need to fill out the full amount of words possible.</message>
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