The office door shut behind her with a dull mechanical click, but it might as well have been the snap of a guillotine. Kade didn’t look back. Burrell and Callan could chew each other into pieces behind glass and plaster. She had more pressing things to deal with, and none of them involved political egos stewing in a pressure cooker.

  The lobby’s tension met her like a wave, the air itself buzzing with the aftershock of the Simulation’s global announcement. She caught the movement first. Lawson rose from where he’d posted against the far wall, flanked by his six Marines already shifting like they sensed the pace had changed.

  Two bodyguards in Restoration Council blue stiffened as she passed. One of them, thin with patchy stubble and too much sweat for a room that wasn’t warm, fumbled with the strap of a sword scabbard that looked worn to the point of disintegration. His partner gripped a spear as if it were a prayer stick, not a weapon. Both of them had been dragging Callan’s ceremonial cart earlier, and they still looked like it.

  Across the room, Burrell’s guards remained stone-faced, better equipped and more disciplined, but Kade didn’t miss the way they tensed when she approached. Their eyes tracked her as if they expected a fight to follow her boots.

  Lawson gave a tight nod, falling in beside her as she crossed the tile. “Situation?”

  “Burrell and Callan are back to arguing. Possibly throwing furniture by now. Doesn’t matter. We’ve got our next assignment.” She said. “Councilor Callan asked us to scout Forest City or Calvary Cemetery. He thinks that might be the best place to get answers regarding this world event, and I agree.”

  Lawson raised an eyebrow but said nothing. They hadn’t met Callan before today, but they’d dealt with his type plenty of times. The kind of man who gave orders by default and saw asking as a form of weakness. For someone like that to request help, it meant the ground had shifted under him. Kade continued moving. The Marines fell into formation without a single word. Training showed in moments like this. There was no chatter or wasted motion. The squad shifted into escort around her and Lawson with the ease that only came from discipline and training.

  She pushed open the heavy doors and stepped into the courtyard. Outside, the mood had soured from celebration to chaos.

  People ran without direction, boots slamming against concrete and cracked tile. A woman stumbled past with her helmet in one hand, the other dragging a half-zipped bag that spilled ration bars with every step. She turned, trying to call someone back, voice cracking.

  “Where do we go this time? What’s the evac plan now?”

  Kade didn’t answer. She wasn’t the one they were asking. People had only just started to come to terms with a new normal ten days after the Simulation reboot upended everything. Now it had dropped another bomb on that fragile understanding.

  The open yard beyond the admin building should’ve been orderly. Checkpoints stood in place, scaffolding framed the perimeter, and lines of sight had been marked for defense. But it looked more like an overturned anthill. Civilians darted between alleys and crates. Some carried weapons, others supplies, but most looked like they did not know which direction was safe. Guards sprinted toward posts, shouting names and unit numbers. A young man tripped over a coil of rope and didn’t stop falling until he vanished behind a stack of water drums. No one helped him up.

  Lawson scanned the chaos. “This feels like someone rang the bell before they saw the enemy.”

  “Because they did,” Kade replied. “It’s not that they know what’s coming… it’s that they don’t. We’ve had ten days to build a version of normal. And the Simulation just moved the goalposts again.”

  Lawson grunted. “Reminds me of when the weather stations used to call for a blizzard and people would fistfight over bread and toilet paper.”

  “Only this time the storm eats people,” she said, deadpan.

  A nearby runner sprinted by, face flushed, messenger bag bouncing against his hip as if it held the future of civilization. Kade caught sight of the side panel. A surplus satchel displayed a carefully stitched, faded company logo from a pre-Cataclysm logistics service.

  Kade turned, sharp. “You. Courier!”

  The kid skidded to a stop mid-stride, nearly colliding with a woman digging through a crate labeled MEDICAL, DENTAL, MISC. Supplies clattered to the ground, but neither of them slowed. He turned toward Kade, eyes catching on the uniform, and started to lift his hand to salute before clearly thinking better of it.

  “Yes, Ma'am?”

  Kade stepped in close, his voice clipped. “I need someone to take a message to Captain Voss aboard the Horizon Talon. It's urgent, and there are five gold coins in it for you. Interested?"

  The courier's eyes bulged once the price of five gold was through into the discussion and quickly pulled a battered notepad from his hip, and waited.

  Kade dictated, voice low enough not to carry, but clear: “Investigating two nearby cemeteries to assess world event impact and threat assessment. Prep for an extended patrol and combat. Briggs and his team needed to link up en route. Route west from Tidebound Front fortification along the canal.”

  Repeating the message, the kid snapped the pad shut and took off like he’d been lit on fire, cutting through scaffolding and overturned barricades with a parkour stride born from a thousand rooftop deliveries and zero faith in ground-level safety.

  Kade watched him go. She wasn't entirely sure that she trusted the kid, but time was of the essence.

  Behind them, the Tidebound Front's main courtyard continued to unravel, voices rising in overlapping panic. Orders shouted. Questions screamed. No clear direction or sense of what to prepare for, only that something terrible was now possible.

  She looked at Lawson. “We’ve got the advantage.”

  “How do you figure?”

  “We’re not panicking. Yet.”

  The wind picked up, dragging the scent of brine and rust across the courtyard. Clouds pressed low and heavy, the sky churning like it couldn’t make up its mind. Somewhere across the bay, the first shadows of the undead were gathering.

  They moved at a steady clip, boots cutting across cracked pavement and patched concrete as the gate came into view at the west end of the compound. The cloud cover had thickened, dulling the afternoon light into a flat, colorless wash that made every movement stand out against the gray. Ahead, the perimeter wall rose like a tired and desperate sentinel, more functional than fortified, its scaffolding spine bristling with half-assembled defensive mounts and rusted weapon emplacements.

  Men and women of all ages were in a line along the palisade walls. Most of them had little to no armor, and from what Kade could tell, most of them barely knew which end of their weapon was supposed to go into the enemy. They would be fine against random monster attacks, but the details of the world event message specifically called out a General. It was easy to assume that any assault would steamroll over the Tidebound Front's defenses.

  Behind them, the sound of raised voices and slamming doors faded into the compound’s nervous heartbeat. Kade didn’t bother looking back. She could feel the tension still hanging in the air like gunpowder dust.

  If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  “Lieutenant,” someone called from behind.

  She didn’t stop walking.

  Callan caught up half a breath later, flanked by his two guards, who looked even more out-of-place now that the Simulation had kicked the threat level up three notches. His tone had cooled, but the clipped edge hadn’t gone anywhere.

  “I appreciate you doing this, Lieutenant. I would recommend you stop by the Ebonwake Conclave's campus before heading to the cemeteries.”

  Kade didn’t break stride. “Not part of the original plan.”

  “No, but neither was the world falling apart again.”

  Lawson glanced at her, a silent question. She gave the smallest nod as if to confirm, 'keep walking'.

  Callan adjusted pace to walk between them.

  “They’re not fighters,” he said, “but the Conclave’s been studying the Simulation since this whole mess started. They've uncovered a good amount of data on how the Simulation operates. You bring them into the field, they might actually give us something useful. On how to approach this world event beyond just the tactical.”

  “You want us to carry a philosopher into a probable war zone?” Kade responded. She hated to admit it, but Callan had a point. If the researchers in the Ebonwake Conclave had been studying how the Simulation worked, then it is possible they would have better insight than she would. Sure, she could assess the threat level and possibly defenses, but that didn't answer the 'how' of things worked.

  “When the dead rise and it looks like the world is going to end yet again,” Callan said, “I’d rather have a dockworker with a wrench than a researcher with a chalkboard standing beside me. But sometimes the researcher’s the one who sees the leak in the hull before the rest of us drown.”

  Kade didn’t answer.

  Callan’s mouth twitched. “Look, they’ve stayed neutral. But they’ve also asked each faction to submit governance proposals for the safe zone. They say they’ll back whichever one makes the most sense.”

  Lawson gave a dry grunt. “Sounds like a popularity contest with extra paperwork.”

  “Sounds like academia.” Callan’s tone soured. “They want to be the conscience of the city, but they still argue about parking assignments and lecture hall heat.”

  “You have a name for this field support person of yours?” Kade asked.

  Callan didn’t take the bait. “No idea who they’ll send, if they send anyone. But swing by their front gate and ask. If they’re as desperate for data as they claim, they’ll have someone willing to pack a bag.” He paused just long enough to let the next part carry weight. “They're better off seeing it firsthand than spending the next week drawing conclusions from rumors and secondhand reports.”

  Kade slowed just enough to make eye contact. “You’re not suddenly getting flexible, Callan. You’re doing some political maneuvering. Someone already jerked me around once since I arrived in Portland. I'm going to lose my sense of humor if it continues to happen.”

  “Welcome to politics, where both things can be true. Yes, I'm attempting to sway the Ebonwake Conclave in my favor. That being said, we still need their input on the situation if we want to make sure we're prepared.” He didn’t wait for a reply, peeling off back toward the admin building before the conversation could finish turning into another argument.

  The west gate loomed ahead, its support scaffolds manned by jittery guards pretending to know what to look for. Beyond it, the road narrowed into a broken path that curved toward the ruined spires and shattered walkways of the city. Kade paused just shy of the gate, watching the sentries struggle to maintain some appearance of order.

  Games Played in the Shadow of the Graves

  Quest notification! A global event has begun, but the Simulation offers no guidance, only consequence. The dead rise in increasing numbers, and the rules have changed without warning. Your objective is to investigate the nature of this event and uncover the mechanics behind its spread and resolution. Political forces move in parallel, each seeking to claim control of the safe zone. While factions rally to preserve their footholds, hidden motives stir beneath the surface. Whether driven by malice or ambition remains unclear.

  Difficulty: Hard

  Rewards: Experience, Two Magic Items, Gold, and Critical Information

  Accept Quest? Yes / No

  Reading the quest description again, Kade’s mouth pulled into a slow frown. At a glance, it looked simple enough. Investigate the event, stop it, and collect the reward. But the wording left too much room for interpretation. She couldn’t decide what bothered her more. The suggestion that someone else might be working against them, or that there was no clear definition of what success actually looked like. No objectives or even a baseline for what counted as progress.

  The Simulation always liked to sound precise. This didn’t. This felt polished but empty. Like it was designed to sound like it knew exactly what it was doing, when really it was hedging. A simple message that meant nothing until it was too late.

  Hidden motives stir.

  That line landed wrong. Stir where? Inside the factions? Outside them? Was someone manipulating the Simulation? Or was this just narrative fluff wrapped around a monster problem?

  She read it again, more slowly this time. It could be the Restoration Council. Could be the Tidebound Front. Could be Ebonwake. Or it could be none of them. The phrasing was just vague enough to mean everything or nothing, depending on how you looked at it.

  That was the part that dug at her. The Simulation wasn’t just assigning objectives anymore. It felt like it was watching. Not just logging actions or reacting to choices, but reaching through the Simulation with intent. It was as if something behind the curtain had taken an interest in her actions.

  And that wasn’t reassuring.

  The AIs behind the Simulation weren’t gods. But they might as well be. Whatever passed for thought behind that interface had the reach and power to rewrite physics, reshape lives, and erase cities without blinking. You didn’t want that kind of attention focused on you. Not if you valued control. Not if you planned on making your own decisions.

  Kade accepted the quest and closed the message with a flick of her eyes and kept walking. Whatever this was, it had already started. Even if she had declined the quest, she'd still be in the thick of it. Might as well get the opportunity for some benefits.

  "You get that quest?" She asked.

  He said nothing at first, just gave her a sidelong glance. His jaw had set the way it always did when things moved faster than they could plan for.

  "Yeah, I did. I'm not sure what to make of it."

  “I don’t like how it’s worded,” she said before turning to the rest of the Marines. "What about you guys? Did you get a quest, too?"

  A chorus of yes, echoed from the group. While that made her feel a bit better that the Simulation hadn't singled her out, it was only a marginal comfort.

  “Feels like a narrative shift,” he replied. "The real question is whether the world event is connected to the safe zone conflict, or if the quest we just received is the Simulation linking the two."

  "I'm inclined to believe the latter." Kade said. "The message was pretty clear that this is something that is taking place everywhere. That wouldn't happen for one insignificant pile of ruins. That second quest is tying the two together independently."

  "Let's table concerns about the actual world event. Let's assume it's going to be hordes of undead monsters. Instead, let's focus on the hidden motives part of the quest we got." She continued.

  "Hate to say it, but I think either Burrell or Callan would be up to playing this situation to their advantage," Lawson responded.

  "Possible, but I feel that Burrell, while an abrasive ass, is interested in doing what is best for everyone," Kade said after thinking for a moment. "Smart money right now is on Callan or a dark horse. Could this be Naomi?"

  “I don't think we have enough information to speculate just yet, but both are viable.”

  "Agreed. We keep our accusations to ourselves and our eyes open," Kade said, then shifted gears. "We need another runner. I want Briggs to meet us at the college campus instead of the bridge over the bay."

  She spotted one courier near the edge of the checkpoint, a teenage girl crouched beside a tool crate, scribbling updates into a leather-bound dispatch log with charcoal-stained fingers. Her boots were probably scavenged military-issue, and it looked like someone had patched her satchel across her back more times than the surrounding walls.

  Kade motioned her over.

  The girl straightened quickly and jogged across, sharp-eyed but not stupid enough to offer a salute. She stopped short, waiting.

  “Message to Commander Voss,” Kade said. “Briggs and fireteam reroute to meet us outside the Ebonwake campus. University perimeter, northwest side. Priority shift. Deliver by hand.”

  The courier nodded and repeated it back cleanly, needing only one correction on the rendezvous point.

  Kade reached into her belt pouch and drew out five gold. The same rate she’d paid earlier, and still too much for a simple dispatch, but it kept the line fast and clean. She pressed the coins into the courier’s hand and met her eyes.

  “No shortcuts. No side jobs on the way.”

  “I’ll run it straight there, Ma'am,” the girl said, already turning.

  She disappeared into the crush of bodies moving around the staging yard, weaving through scaffold beams and half-fortified chokepoints with urgency.

  The gate creaked open ahead with a sound like metal remembering old damage. A guard waved them through without a word, his posture stiff and uncertain. Beyond him, the world narrowed into a gray corridor of cracked pavement and fractured campus sprawl.

  The Marines reset their formation with fluid efficiency, shifting into staggered pairs behind Lawson and Kade.

  "Alright, let's move out," Lawson called before striding out the gate.

  Kade took her now customary spot as the third in the formation. They were so far off proper military protocol because the modern fighting doctrine didn't cover this type of situation. However, Lawson was still unwilling to let Kade walk at the front of the column because no matter the type of world they now lived it, it wasn't worth the risk.

  There were still too many unknowns ahead, but Kade knew that the crew of the Horizon Talon would always have each other's backs.

  Tides of Ruin.

  Surviving the Simulation universe. Every chapter, comment, and bit of support genuinely means the world.

  Tides of Ruin and The Grand Crusade have their next ten chapters posted there, along with early access to my side-series Tales from the Explorer’s Inn, which follows the background characters who make this world feel alive.