Something must stop them. In "Bastion-style" stories, this is often the environment itself or "Scrappers" representing the wreckage of the old world.
People find things more satisfying in threes—three obstacles, three main characters, or three acts.
The world didn't end with a bang; it ended with a sigh and a lot of grey dust. lh11rar
The path ahead was long, and the sky was still grey, but for the first time since the world broke, Elara started to walk. How to Build a "Proper" Story
Elara didn't run. You can't run when there’s nowhere to go but down. She swung the heavy iron key like a hammer. Something must stop them
"Proper story's supposed to have a hero," she whispered, the metal meeting metal with a bone-shaking thwack . "But I’ll settle for being the one who’s still standing."
But as she reached the edge of the district, something moved in the dust. A Scrapper—a twisted mess of metal and bad intentions—pulled itself out of the wreckage. It didn't have eyes, but it knew she had the key. The world didn't end with a bang; it
"Proper story’s supposed to start at the beginning. Ain't so simple with this one."