08-12-2023, 06:47 AM
Thank you to rowens and Tranquility for commenting. I've developed a theory that the problem was the word "vital," because it's surrounded by nouns and was setting up quintessence to feel out of place. I've decided to test this theory. After much deliberation, I chose "secret," but also considered "marrow," "context," and "spirit." I'm not opposed to making up words, but I want to explore the real ones first. If you have a favorite (or hate them all), please let me know.
With regard to the "in" vs. "to" smackdown: I went with "in this" but also considered "to their." Ultimately, I decided that the speaker is still part of the image, even as a shadow. I'm undecided as to whether this is nonsensical. However, I don't think that anything terribly serious is destroyed either way. If you disagree, leave me a nasty-gram in the comments.
With regard to the "in" vs. "to" smackdown: I went with "in this" but also considered "to their." Ultimately, I decided that the speaker is still part of the image, even as a shadow. I'm undecided as to whether this is nonsensical. However, I don't think that anything terribly serious is destroyed either way. If you disagree, leave me a nasty-gram in the comments.