The actions of characters and their objectives drive the events in a story. Conflict, whether internal or external, also plays a crucial role in creating tension and moving the plot forward. Additionally, the setting and established rules or norms within the story world can influence how events unfold.
In order to be a story character, a person or thing must have things happen to them, and must be essential to the story.
To "cause" is an action that makes something happen.
"Cause" is the action word that makes something happen.
Creation; a catalyst makes something happen.
To "Cause" is a five letter action word makes something happen.
Something. Seriously. Every story has something happen or it's a boring story. You need conflict and tension for it to be interesting, and that's when things happen.
A fact story is something that is written or told based on events that have happen or something that was known to happen. This is all written and told based on true stories.
A stimulus is an event or action that makes something else happen. Other possible answers are trigger or impetus.
Cause.
It could be a catalyst.
Something that will happen later in a story
foreshadowing, withheld knowledge, the use of irony, connotations are elements that creates the eerie mood throughout the story.