The debrief chamber was silent.
It was a circular room built entirely of black alloy, lit by a single ring of pale blue light that traced the ceiling. At its center stood a transparent dais projecting a series of shimmering holograms — combat data, life readings, and the incomplete telemetry recovered from the expedition into the Tier 2 Shroud.
Bright stood among the survivors, his hands folded behind his back. Across from them were rows of high-ranking officers, their uniforms sharp and pristine, eyes cold and calculating.
At the center of the table sat Captain Atheon Varr, one of the Directorate's war veterans. His expression was carved from stone.
"Begin," he said quietly.
A woman at his right — First lieutenant Maren — tapped the control pad. The holographic feed flickered to life, showing ghostly fragments of their final battle. Blurred figures moved in streaks of light and shadow, energy bursts colliding in a storm of ether. It was chaotic, almost surreal.
"This," Maren said, her tone measured, "is all the Shroud's resonance trackers managed to capture before contact was lost."
She gestured at the distortions on screen. "From the moment Lance Corporal Roegan initiated engagement with the entity labeled C-Prime, all standard data streams collapsed. The internal mana density spiked beyond calculable range. The event lasted approximately three minutes."
She turned her gaze to the survivors. "Three minutes in which nine squads were annihilated. Only two groups made it out. Care to explain how?"
Silas shifted, leaning on the table with one arm still bandaged. "Luck," he said flatly. "And a lot of blood."
A faint murmur rippled through the observing officers, half disbelieving, half amused.
Atheon's eyes narrowed. "Luck doesn't account for synchronized combat movements and precision-level coordination between units that have never trained together."
He looked directly at Bright. "You're the fledgling in the video right?. Speak."
Bright hesitated. The weight of the room pressed down on him — the intensity of their gazes, the hum of the air filtration system, the faint scent of antiseptic and ozone.
"We acted on instinct," he said finally. "Every decision felt… right, even when we didn't understand why. It wasn't planned."
"Instinct," Maren repeated. "Interesting word choice."
Duncan stirred beside him. "What he means is — we were desperate. Things blur when you're fighting for your life."
Jorik grunted in agreement. "Captain Roegan died buying us those seconds. That's the only reason we walked out."
Silas said nothing, but his gaze stayed fixed on the hologram, on the frozen moment where Roegan had been consumed by the explosion of ether.
Atheon let the silence stretch, then exhaled through his nose. "Very well. We'll assume for now your instincts were miraculously tactical."
He leaned back. "As for Roegan's service — his death in the line of command will be honored. His merit points and holdings will be distributed among his next of kin."
The screen shifted, now displaying the faces and files of each survivor. Their names hovered in golden text above translucent dossiers.
Merit Allocation Session
Adjutant Maren's voice grew sharper as she read from the datafeed.
"Surviving unit members will receive provisional commendations pending psychological evaluation and combat review. Effective ranks will remain unchanged until the Directorate finalizes the classification of the Tier 2 Incident."
Her finger swiped down the holographic list.
Bright Morgan — 420 merit points
Adam Keer — 290 merit points
Duncan Varr — 350 merit points
Besia Erden — 310 merit points for auxiliary defense.
Silas drey — 400 merit points
Jorik Mave — 300 merit points for assisting cross-unit extraction.
Each line of text glowed briefly as it was logged into the command registry.
Silas tilted his head, smirking faintly. "Pending investigation?"
Maren didn't look up. "Your retrieval involved classified-grade ether signatures. Until we determine what you brought out, your commendation remains conditional."
Silas shrugged. "Figures."
Bright's hand curled slightly at his side. He didn't know why, but something about the way she said what you brought out made his Danger Sense itch.
Atheon turned to the officers behind him. "Are there objections?"
A voice from the rear — older, rougher — spoke up. "Commander, I have one."
An elder man stepped forward, his uniform lined with silver thread denoting high council status. His nameplate read Ardent Hale.
"These reports read too clean," Hale said, his tone deliberate. "Nine squads enter a high-threat Shrine. Two emerge. Both claim extraordinary instinctual coordination, and yet none can provide a clear chain of command during the final minutes?"
He looked toward Bright, eyes sharp. "Doesn't that strike anyone as… convenient?"
The air in the room tightened.
Atheon's jaw flexed. "What are you suggesting?"
"I'm suggesting interference," Hale said. "External or internal —because to be honest, we are not leaving in some la la land fairy tale, something here just screams wrong. I've seen combat data before, Commander. This is a miracle and we all know miracles don't take place in the shroud."
Maren laughed . "Are you proposing divine-level influence? That's superstition, not analysis."
"Call it what you like," Hale said, eyes narrowing. "But those children walked through a slaughterhouse untouched by reason. And we're rewarding them without understanding how."
Silas chuckled softly under his breath. "If you think I enjoyed that, old man, you're welcome to take my place next time."
Atheon's voice snapped across the room. "Enough."
He rose, his height and tone silencing every murmur. "We will not waste time on theories without evidence. The survivors are to undergo medical and mental screening. Their memories will be logged for pattern reconstruction. Until then, their merit point awards stand."
He paused. "As for Commander Hale's suspicions, the Directorate will review the Shroud resonance anomaly under internal audit. This discussion is concluded."
Hallway Outside Debrief
The heavy doors hissed open, and the survivors stepped out one by one. The air outside felt lighter, though the tension clung like damp cloth.
Duncan exhaled. "That was… less of a reward ceremony and more of an interrogation."
Besia nodded. "You expected different?"
Adam walked silently beside them, gaze distant. "They're afraid. The Shroud was supposed to be predictable. But something down there broke their rules."
Silas smirked. "And they hate when rules break."
Bright didn't answer. He kept walking, his eyes flicking briefly to the mirrored wall panels lining the corridor. For a heartbeat, he saw faint script flicker across his reflection — like words being written, then erased.
He blinked. Gone.
Observation Deck — Hours Later
Atheon stood alone, watching through the glass wall as the survivors were escorted toward the med-bay. Hale joined him silently, hands clasped behind his back.
"They don't even realize," Hale murmured.
Atheon didn't look away. "Realize what?"
"That they've been touched by something that shouldn't exist," Hale said. "When men start moving in patterns that defy choice, it's not instinct — it's narrative."
He turned, the faintest smirk ghosting across his face. "And narratives always have an author."
Atheon frowned. "You think someone wrote what happened in there?"
Hale's eyes glinted. "Not someone. Something. Just hope it's not some other abomination. Would be nice to see the young recruits live for at least 5 years"
He left without another word, leaving the Commander alone with the silent view of the city.
Elsewhere — The Narrator's Quill
In a distant chamber filled with the faint hum of reality's ink, the Narrator dipped his brush into gold again.
Lines formed across the page, each name glowing softly — now joined by two new threads:
Atheon Varr.
Ardent Hale.
He smiled faintly. "Debrief complete. Questions sown. Balance restored."
The brush paused over Bright's name.
"But the ink still stirs…"
A drop of golden light fell from the quill, spreading across the parchment — forming the faint outline of another word, half-written, trembling as if alive.
'Awakening.'
The Narrator exhaled, his voice a whisper that drifted through unseen halls.
"And thus the next chapter begins ,not in the fog, but within the minds it left behind."