ri writes

LINK or LINK | 8 chapters, ~510K words (last updated 22/02/26)

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In the underworld kingdom, where demons fight for survival against the abyssal monsters, you are just an Oracle. In the distant past the Oracles were at the top of the demonic hierarchy, but those golden days are long gone. You did what you were most afraid to do and now sit under arrest in the royal palace.

When the Abyss sends you a vision of a terrible disaster that will happen in the future, you make an inevitable “deal” with the Sovereign to try to change the future and improve your abilities, not only to become stronger and learn more about the coming disaster, but also in an attempt to achieve mind stability. 

However, what has been happening to you since you received the vision makes you think that you are already slowly but surely losing your mind. 

Will you be able to maintain your sanity and help others protect the kingdom, or will you become just another name in the long list of Oracles gone mad?

This is a free to play interactive fantasy story with a heavy focus on friendship and romance (with strangers to lovers or enemies dynamic). The story is rated 18+. Content warnings: violence, death, loss of sanity, trauma, avoidable sexually suggestive/sexual content, and more (the full list is in the demo).

Customize your Oracle: pronouns, traits, and appearance. Choose your full ✨ demonic form. ✨

Build friendship or romance with five different characters. (Allosexual and asexual routes are available.)

Learn more about the Oracles’ past and what truly drove their royal clan into ruin. Uncover the secrets of your abilities. Chat with the Abyss?

Decide what you do for fun. Do you sing, dance, paint, play a musical instrument, or write? 

What you did cannot be undone. Your reputation forever ruined, how will you handle the public’s new attitude toward you? 

Maintain your sanity. Depending on your choices, you’ll either move closer to loss of control and madness or further away from it.

Decide what fate awaits you. You’ll have to make an important decision that will open two very different paths for you, influence the plot’s progression, and your relationships.

Will the victory be sweet?

though it's not one scene but five because I need one for each route

but then it's not five but x2 because I need different platonic/romantic scenes for each route

but then it's not five x2 but five x4 because the Oracle has two different states in this chapter and so they need different scenes for both states

Tagged by @fir-fireweed. Thank you!! 😽

What was your first favorite book?

Captain Blood by Rafael Sabatini. As a kid, I really liked pirate and adventure stories, lol!

For IF, it was Scout. I still mourn it to this day 😭

2. What is your current favorite book?

It's hard to choose one... so I'm just going to make a list because no one can stop me. My IFs recs are there and there.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin (duh)

Ballad of Sword and Wine by Tang Jiu Qing

Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

A Song of Ice and Fire by George Martin

Dracula by Bram Stoker

Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

Violet Evergarden by Kana Akatsuki

Heaven Official's Blessing by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu

3. What genre is your favorite, reading or writing?

Low/high fantasy and romance for reading and writing. Detective and historical for reading.

4. Favorite trope?

Found family (the kind that kills for each other, none of that tepid nonsense where they're more like colleagues).

5. If you could, what world building or story would you love to have written yourself?

I really like the plot + lore and how it's delivered in Where Winds Meet (game), and I've been gnawing at my walls for a while now wishing I could plot something as intricate. That's why I'm still intensely marinating the plot of my next project.

6. Your favorite line (or three) that you've written?

I really have no idea. I might like something at one moment, but I'd forget about it soon enough, so I have nothing to put here 😭✌️

7. Favorite medium to experience a story? (Book, IF, video game, movie, etc)

Books, games, VNs, and IF. I've loved reading since I was a kid, and I've played VNs since I was ~12 (mostly Japanese, even untranslated ones, lol) and still play a lot of them. I barely watch movies because ADHD (you know if you know).

8. Favorite character versus your favorite character to write: who would win?

In a fight to death? Selene would win, naturally.

9. What story keeps inspiring you to keep writing?

No such thing. I just love writing. I've been doing it for so long, even through my worst years, that I don't know how to live without it anymore. It sounds ✨extra✨, but it is an integral part of my life. I don't need inspiration for it.

10. Random fun fact about you, your writing, your interests

I've recently decided to get back into drawing. I actually drew a lot as a kid before I started writing. But I'll keep it as a light hobby; for the sake of my nerves, I shouldn't have another hobby that I'm insane about, lol.

“Do you enjoy provoking me?” they ask so quietly you barely hear it. You swallow. Laz steps closer, and you tense in anticipation. When they stop in front of you, staring down at you, the silence and the suspense drive you mad. They slowly raise their hand, and you track its motion. Their finger presses against the top of your chest. They trail it lower, drawing a line in the middle of your torso like they are estimating where they will cut you open to rip your heart out. “Silent?” They lean down, shifting their hands onto the railing on either side of you. Their breath ghosts over your lips. “Should I continue this game then?”

Haha yeah, the Oracle isn't a blank character, they have a semi-set personality regardless of your route. I'm glad you're enjoying it anyway! 💛 I know this isn't for everyone.

For me, it's variables. I love them (otherwise I wouldn't be writing IF), but they are hard. It's so fun to think of how different important choices could influence the story, but it can be a challenge too. And then actually writing them is another matter.

Each chapter, I need to figure out how the major variables will influence each moment. What about the differences for each route, plus their romantic and platonic variations? The forward/reserved variations, then high or low friendship. High/low sanity. Then smaller variables that usually mean flavor text. The Oracle's character traits. Etc etc. I didn't make this part easy for myself when I decided to write two different plot paths (but I think this is really cool, and the whole premise was built on it, so there was no way I could write TAS without it—the Oracle's story wouldn't be the same without it).

I have a whole excel sheet for all variables, but it doesn't save me from errors. I messed up in chapter 8 because I simply forgot to consider one variable in one paragraph (still facepalming about that). Long after the chapter was published I randomly noticed it when fixing a typo and had to quickly figure out how to fix that paragraph (coding gave me the most trouble at that time; my brain got pulverized).

If I were writing a normal book, I could finish a chapter in a week or two, at least its first draft (5-10K words). In an interactive story, I would maybe finish one scene in a week, and only if it's not that hard on variables (no big moments with the routes, for example).

But I love it. I might complain about it, but I've always enjoyed challenges in writing. It makes my brain go wroom (painfully), but I find it entertaining, if that makes sense, lol.

My question is regarding the heights (kinda), all the RO's are described as quite tall so im wondering whos teasing a small MC for their height and who is potentially using it to their advantage to manhandle them? I imagine Os would given what we've seen of them so far LOL (esp if MC is being a brat- WHO SAID THAT... scandalous)

if you would be so kind as to confirm or deny my ponderings i shall be grateful

Thank you so much!! 😭 💛 I'm excited to publish this chapter too (I say it every chapter, don't I)

You're right, Os absolutely would manhandle you on purpose, especially if they wanted to tease you.

Vez wouldn't manhandle (unless asked) or tease you. They don't want to speak carelessly about something that might be a sore spot for you.

Laz would tease you if a chance arose. They might manhandle you if you were acting bratty, but only in private. They wouldn't act like that with you if someone could see you.

Ash would never tease you about it. They don't really care about anyone's heights.

I went insane. Um. I did. Every route....

Back-to-back. With no breaks. hahahahhahaha don't ask me how long it took. JK I'll tell u, it took around...11? ish? Hours? With maybe four breaks. Turn 169 u will always be famous to me <3 (it was just where the lock-in for routes was for me)

Okay, so I did in a weird order. Laz, then Vez, then O, then Ash, then Az. AND APPARENTLY SELENE IS ALSO??? A ROUTE??? So obv I'm gonna get on that expeditiously.

Laz lowkey set me up to be like "damn... is there gonna be no development until late game for all the ROs?" then Vez immediately proved me wrong HAHAHAHA. Vez is so pookielicious like they are unmatched in all the IFs I've read, just perfection. O was more of a little jackass than I thought, which was amazing!!!! My fave drowned rat fr do whatever u want twin!!! Ash is so precious I need them injected in my veins rn. Az is so cool!! The reveal of what they do was cool bc I alr suspected what they did, and I was kinda half-right. I loved seeing them angry! So pretty, need more fr.

My fave was obviouslyyyyyyyyyyy Ash!!! HAHHAHAHA i need that biblically.

Also very very very cool that the Oracle, no matter what route, alludes to wanting to bite the RO's bc #same like me and the MC are aligned cosmically.

Side note, world building so elite. I don't agree with Selene, my baddie who needs a nap and perhaps Vez's head, but I still love her. Violence shouldn't be paid back with violence, even though I do agree that the treatment of the Oracles in modern times and back then was abysmal and needs correction. I get Vez is busy, but c'mon, dude, Oracles are treated as second class citizens AT BEST.

Anyway this is getting long (hehe) so tootles!! I LOVE UR WORK !!!!!

Thank youuu, this put a smile on my face when I was in such a bad mood 😭💛💛

Sadly, Selene isn't a full, proper route. She will be available for M's plot branch in some instances as a toxic kinda-lover for the Oracle at the very, very end (probably the epilogue), but don't expect any good endings for that... 🫡

Vezriel settles next to them and cups their cheek, wiping their tears, and covers [Oracle]’s hand. [Oracle] blinks at them, and Vezriel is relieved to see no anger or aversion in their eyes. “Everything will be fine,” they murmur. “The pain will pass. You’ll recover fully. You’re not in danger anymore, and I’ll make sure this doesn’t happen again.” Can they promise it so confidently when they, in fact, have no confidence? Both of them will be lucky to keep their lives by the time everything ends, but how can they say something so cruel to [Oracle]? Instead of telling them the ugly truth now and pushing them into the greedy claws of fear, they would rather have them blame them for lying in the future.

anyways i hope you have a good week ahead, here are some flowers 💐 amazing writing!!

Another Az lover! Glad to hear you're enjoying their route, and thank you!! ☺️🫶

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