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"Whispers curled in the corners of her mind—a shadow of a memory. Dark hair. Solemn blue eyes. A thumb pressing against her palm."

from In This Darkness, Chapter 22: Rude Awakenings

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"He didn’t care who stood in his way—He just needed to reach her. To do something. To stop this, whatever this was."

from In This Darkness, Chapter 21: Of Raging Storms

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"Lily tried not to care. About how close they were sitting. About how he and Katherine had arrived late to class Monday morning, rumpled, poorly rested, and very much together. About how it was always this girl or that girl. And then, more desperately, she tried not to care about how much she really did care."

from In This Darkness: Chapter 20, ...This Way Comes

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“Two masters of a game neither of you even knows you're playing.”

from In This Darkness, Chapter 19: Something Wicked...

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I just wanted to take a moment to say a huge thank you for the Inky nominations! Being recognized for Best Multi-Chaptered, Best Character Development (Xander Vandenburg), Favorite Lead Character (Xander Vandenburg), Favorite Side Character (Hugo), and Best Friendship means so much to me.

Per contest rules, I had to narrow it down to three, and I chose: ✨ Favorite Supporting Character (Hugo) ✨ Best Character Development (Xander) ✨ Best Friendship

These categories are especially close to my heart. Hugo may not always be in the spotlight, but he has been one of my favorite characters to write. Xander’s development has been a journey of contradictions and crafting his growth has been both a challenge and a joy. And of course, friendship is the foundation of so much in this story, shaping relationships just as much as conflict does.

A huge shoutout to all the other nominees—there’s so much incredible talent in this community, and I encourage everyone to check out their work here. Being included among such amazing writers is an honor. 💙

Thank you again to everyone who nominated me! Your support means the world. ✨

As an additional side note - I have been out of town this week for a much needed holiday with my family. However, I am back and have started working on Chapter 19 of In This Darkness. 🥰

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"The fire in his eyes faded, and for a moment, she thought he might break. That he might give in, that he might agree to help. But then, instead, he turned and walked away, a hand running through the back of his hair."

And this time, Lily just watched him go."

from In This Darkness, Chapter 18: A Simple Favor

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“I’ve always been curious—how do two cold-blooded reptiles muster enough heat to properly mate?”

from In This Darkness, Chapter 17: Undercurrent Shifts

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"Vector’s brows lifted in mild amusement before she passed him the chalk. Xander exhaled steadily, then stepped forward, lifting the chalk to the slate. The classroom quieted as the faint scrape of chalk punctuated the moment. He worked through the equation methodically, numbers and symbols falling into place until he reached its conclusion."

from In This Darkness, Chapter 15: Numbers and Notions

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"Then, turning to Oscar, he leaned gently against him, his shoulder pressing lightly, like a horse nuzzling up to someone, before smiling up at him. 'Hi.'"

from In This Darkness, Chapter 15: Hesitant Hearts

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"He stepped forward, the space between them suddenly a feeble thing, and for a moment, she thought he might embrace her—that she might let him. Instead, he held her only with his gaze, and somehow, that was still enough for her fingers to slip from the shelf."

from In This Darkness, Chapter 14: Of Headlines and Heartstrings

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"Her mother’s face grinned up at her, full of life and mischief. Her red hair, tied back in a messy ponytail, seemed to shimmer in the enchanted light of the photograph, and her freckled face practically glowed."

from In This Darkness, Chapter 13: Lessons in Disguise

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“You’re so much fun, even if people say you’re quite full of yourself, and a bit of a snob, and something of a reckless flirt too. Which, okay, maybe you are, but honestly—”

“Merlin, you really know how to build a bloke up,” Edward said, and though his tone was sarcastic, it was also a bit teasing, as if he found her amusing. 

from In This Darkness, Chapter 12: A Study In Distractions

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Writing Journal Reflections

This past month has been quite a productive one for me in terms of writing. Chapters 7-11 of In the Dark are now uploaded on AO3, and I’ve spent a lot of time refining the story—cleaning out what wasn’t necessary, tightening the narrative, and making sure each scene serves a purpose. It’s a process that requires stepping back and asking, Does this moment push the story forward? Does it deepen the characters? If not, it goes. At the same time, I’ve also added moments that bring the characters into sharper focus—scenes that don’t just advance the plot but allow for quieter, more intimate glimpses into who they are. 

Lately, I’ve also been reflecting on how much I’ve changed as a writer since I first started ITD. Back then, I wasn’t much older than the characters I was writing about. My writing was shaped by what I was experiencing, what I was watching on TV, and what I was reading. It was a way for me to process everything—both personal and global—the things I understood and the things I didn’t yet have the words for.

In many ways, the characters in this story reflect pieces of my own experiences—the feelings I had, the conversations we had in class, the way we tried to make sense of the world around us. Looking at the story now, it feels almost like an homage to that teenage experience—the rawness, the uncertainty, the emotions that felt all-consuming at the time. Even when the characters aren’t direct mirrors of myself or the people I knew, there’s something deeply personal in the way their struggles echo those years. It’s like capturing a moment in time—one that still lingers, even as I’ve grown past it.

And then there’s the political aspect of the story. ITD has always dealt with issues of prejudice, misinformation, and the way power structures manipulate fear, but writing it now—living in this world, in this time—feels eerily relevant. Sadly, I don’t have to look far to see how history repeats itself, how misinformation continues to shape public perception, and how discrimination is repackaged but never truly disappears. The Clarifiers were always meant to be a reflection of that—a force that thrives on division and fear—but sometimes it’s unsettling to step away from writing them and see how much of their ideology exists in reality, just under different names.

Still, I write. I refine. I push forward. If nothing else, this story remains what it has always been: a way to process, to reflect, to make sense of what often feels senseless. And as long as the words keep coming, I’ll keep putting them down.

Anyway, I apologize for the long rant—it’s been a long week on my side of the world.

All my love, Quilly

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"It had been terrifying—that darkness—until he’d come downstairs and met Lily. She’d been a burst of color piercing through the shadows, making him believe, ever so certainly, that there was nothing else worth remembering."

from In This Darkness, Chapter 11: Of Boys and Bouquets

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"For a few precious moments, they swayed together, the world around him fading into insignificance—the chatter, the laughter, the music, all melting into the background. The gentle pressure of her cheek against his chest felt like a fragile, fleeting peace, something he hadn’t known he craved until now."

from In This Darkness, Chapter 10: Of Love, Lust, and Loss

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"Don’t go. The words formed in his mind, raw and pleading, but he swallowed them, forcing them into the corners of his heart where they couldn’t escape. Lily still held him tight, her arms a steady haven against the lingering chaos, until, finally, the knot of panic in his chest eased, and it was Xander who pulled away."

from In This Darkness, Chapter 9: Splintered Dreams

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"He was left with no choice but to look at her then, and already there was too much of her. She was so close he could see the faint traces of freckles on her shoulders, partially hidden by makeup, and her naturally red eyelashes darkened to jet black. Even like this, smelling more of firewhiskey than lavender, she was still quintessentially Lily—that playfulness about her, and those millions of thoughts flying across her eyes like a shower of shooting stars…"

from In This Darkness, Chapter 8: Of Chemical Reactions