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The Bureau of Quiet Things
≡ Image prompt:

Do not depict: Child Abuse, Suicide, Explicit sexual content or nudity, Extreme graphic violence or gore, Deeply nihilistic or hopeless themes, Drug/alcohol use. Generate an illustration for a choose-your-own-adventure story. Theme: scifi. Futuristic sci-fi aesthetic, neon accents, sleek technology, dark backgrounds. Style: Digital illustration, vivid colours, suitable for a web story. Do not include any text or lettering in the image. A dim 24-hour diner booth at night, a manila folder spilling yellowed obituary clippings stamped in red ink, steam rising from a chipped coffee cup, rain-streaked window reflecting neon in Art Deco style, Ethereal / Dreamy

The Bureau of Quiet Things


The agent slides a folder across the diner table. Inside: obituaries dating back to 1923, each marked RECEIVED, SUPPRESSED, PERMITTED. "Buildings like yours leak," he says softly. "We collect the leaks."

He smiles without warmth. "Salary. Pension. Silence. Or you become tomorrow's headline. Choose, Ms. Vance — the coffee's getting cold."


Accept their offer and the leash that comes with it
Run and publish everything
Go Back

? Every leash has two ends, and only one hand holds it.

Start Over

© 2026 Evan Prael