#fictional article

Recent developments on British man and celebrity manager, Maximillian Black, have pushed his youngest son, Keith Black, into the limelight of fame after his eldest son, Wolfgang Black, refused the public eye. Keith Black, only seventeen, is known for his short songs on the YouTube channel “Writer Unknown” after Max had outed him in an interview a few years back. Keith has been writing plenty of amazing pop songs without anyone knowing his identity.

We then asked Keith his reasoning behind keeping his identity to himself. “I only do it for fun, not money or fame.” He expressed. “I do it for the people who just want to listen to music without having to think about the creator.” He knew that creators had a lot of drama behind them, such as the recent scandal between singer Valory Smith and Fifteen-year-old, Brain Lenard. Keith understood that you need to think about the creator before listening to the music, he didn’t want anyone to think about whether he was the good guy or not.

Though the young artist’s YouTube channel is only a year old, starting when he was sixteen, it has gained traction immensely, already containing at least 60,000 subscribers. Keith’s music is relatively pop, with a few hyper-pop singles like “Dance with Me <3” and “Pretty Hoe” which are more reminiscent of scene and alternative people. After a little digging, sources close to the family have confirmed Max will be taking on the role of Keith’s first and only manager.

Reactions From the Family and Friends

We decided to get comments from the Black family and a few friends about Keith’s songs and new fame.

His father, Maximillian, told us “I found him one day typing on that laptop of his, then I saw him creating the song on a free beat maker. I told the media about my son’s talent, knowing he’d make big bucks with it.”

Then, from his stepmother, Elizabeth, “I knew from day one, I understood his want for secrecy and I didn’t say a peep.”

 Finally, from the aloof brother, Wolfgang, we heard “Of course I knew, Dad and the media are the only ones who didn’t because of this.” His brother then proceeded to tell us, “I know what it’s like to be in the limelight, I didn’t want him to experience it so young. But that bastard,” Referring to Max, “He didn't understand that Keith wanted to remain in the shadows.” That was the most we’ve heard from Wolfgang in a while.

We only managed to contact one of Keith's friends, William, and he expressed his knowledge of the young artist’s secret fame. “Oh, I knew, of course, I did,” He explained, “I’m the only friend he trusts with big secrets like that. I know not to rat out people.”

And, while we couldn’t reach Isabella Ackerley, their biological mother, sources reveal that she’s proud of her youngest son for his generosity to the people.

Keith’s Perspective

After getting the family’s reaction, we decided to interview the young artist himself.

Why did you start making music in the first place?

“One day I had an idea for a few lyrics after listening to my favorite musician, Michelle Wily. I wrote the lyrics, developed a melody with the help of my choir teacher, came up with the title, and posted it to YouTube under the name Writer Unknown.”

Who has inspired you the most over this year of song-making?

“My mom– by mom I mean Elizabeth, brother, choir teacher, fans, and Michelle Wily. No doubt they’ve helped me with almost everything. My mom, Elizabeth, has been very supportive unconditionally, my brother has been helping design the thumbnails for the videos and unconditionally supporting me, my choir teacher always helps with the melodies, and Michelle Wily has been my biggest inspiration for even writing the music.”

What about your father, Max, has he provided any inspiration?

“Hell no, the man’s too busy to do anything to inspire me. The guy’s a money-hungry and attention-wanting bastard. That’s why he paid you to ask me this question.”

That’s as far as we got with the seventeen-year-old.

What Does the Future Hold for Keith Black?

Keith Black's trajectory in the music industry appears to be on an upward curve, particularly with his impressive growth of over 60,000 subscribers on YouTube in just a year. His vibrant pop and hyper-pop tracks have caught the attention of fans who are captivated by his youthful energy and infectious sound. This surge in popularity could soon attract major labels and producers vying to align themselves with his rising star.

With family backing enhancing his prospects, Keith's father, Maximillian Black, now manages his career, providing the professional mentorship he needs to navigate the competitive landscape. The enthusiasm and encouragement from his stepmother, Elizabeth, and his brother Wolfgang fuel his creative aspirations, reinforcing his ambition to achieve greater recognition.

As he garners more attention, Keith is likely to embrace opportunities to amplify his presence in the music scene. The support from his family, paired with mentorship from his choir teacher, positions him to explore innovative sounds that could further elevate his profile. Each catchy release strengthens his appeal and sets the stage for a spectacular breakthrough.

Author: Elinor Carter

Almost 100 years after the end of the war, with no further threats from the Fae, the public starts to question: is IRON really worth the taxpayer’s money?

September 2100 | By Yvette Lineham, Post-war correspondent

The Incursion Reaction Operations Network was originally founded in the immediate aftermath of the war to make up for a shortfall in military presence; the Fae may have left, but the breaches were still showing up, and it was almost unanimously agreed that such a group would be needed. Over the years, they’ve held bases of operations all over the country, but due to budget cuts over the years this has shrunk down to just twenty posts in total. With election season coming up, IRON is a hot-button topic, with some arguing for complete closure, and others arguing to continue the trend of closing things down gradually.

One has to wonder just how often a situation requiring their input occurs; is it often enough that we need the branch at all? Rachel Henson, MP for Derby where IRON’s central base of operations is, has some thoughts on that.

“The RNLI is essential, and a charity organisation,” she tells me between meetings. “They are there to fill the gaps the coastguard cannot, and we are very grateful to them for their volunteer work, especially as it’s just as dangerous as what IRON used to do.” Used to? “Yes, ‘used to.’ No more. Look, they were absolutely necessary in the aftermath of the war, there’s no denying that at all, but it’s been almost a century since the war ended, and there’s been absolutely no further incursions since then. I’d wager most of the calls they get are for perfectly ordinary animals that look a bit off in low light.”

David Raynor, formerly a Sergeant in the Armed Forces and now heading up IRON, disagrees when I mention Ms Henson’s thoughts on the matter.

“The Honourable Member is welcome to join me on a normal day’s work, and see just how many reports we get that are false positives,” he says between calls. “The thing is, it’s not just Fae we have to watch for. She’s absolutely right that there have been no incursions from Fae, but there are other things out there just waiting for a breach. They’re what we watch for more than anything - and they tend to work really hard at looking like ordinary animals.”

I ask what he means by that, and he responds by spinning in his chair and retrieving a binder stuffed full of pages. He flips through some of the entries before laying the pages open for me, and spins the binder so I can see.

“We call them veil-walkers,” he says. “ They’re the beasties that aren’t part of the Fae Wilds, but they’re not part of our world either. Most common one we get are these, and they are nasty. If I get a call for these, I need a full team of eight to take them down, and that’s getting harder and harder to justify the expenses for.”

The photograph he shows me is of a deer, looking perfectly ordinary, with a full head of antlers that any game hunter would kill to mount on their wall. He flips the page, and there are a series of photographs that seem to be taken in rapid succession; the deer looks at the camera, the deer is running towards the camera - and the final one, incredibly blurred and overexposed, shows the deer lunging forwards, mouth stretched wide, with teeth far sharper than any deer need.

It’s hard to know what to say in the face of such a sight. I didn’t have it in me to ask if the photographer made it out alive; if that deer was one of the bigger ones, then anyone would have a hard time beating it in a run.

“If we weren’t needed, we’d have been closed already,” the former Sergeant tells me quietly as he takes the binder back. Looking at the shelves, I noticed that it’s not the only binder, and each are numbered, 1 to 12. “Folks think we’re not needed because we’re good at what we do, but we’re a victim of our own success. If we’re there to deal with a breach successfully so nobody gets hurt, you all wonder what the point of us is. If we’re not there quick enough and someone does get hurt, you wonder what you’re even paying us for.”

His point is a sobering one - they’d likely be closed down far quicker if random civilians lost their lives on a regular basis. The fact that they’re still operational, albeit at a greatly reduced capacity, is living proof to how essential they are - and nothing short of a miracle that there haven’t already been casualties as a result of the reduced funding. For the time being, we should be grateful that IRON are there to keep things like this from getting in, so we can all sleep a little safer at night.

--

A news report, a few weeks earlier:

Twelve US Army soldiers have been killed during a training exercise in the US state of Iowa on Thursday, officials said. [...]

The Army has launched an investigation. The identities of the twelve soldiers killed in the accident will be made public by the Army only after their their relatives have been notified about their loss.

"Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family, friends and loved ones of the soldiers involved in this tragic accident. We will conduct a thorough investigation into this incident, and we will do everything in our power to support the families of the brave soldiers who died."