He sat on a rusted bench outside the Central Transport Hub, gazing up at the towering skyline of Neo-Luminara, where mirrored skyscrapers jutted arrogantly into the clouds.
From a distance, the city was breathtaking, an architectural marvel that promised dreams and opportunities.
But up close? It was a labyrinth of systems and social hierarchies that filtered people like sediment. And Billy? He had slipped through the cracks.
Pulling out his phone, he scrolled through it with mounting frustration: no messages, not from Sophia, not from Margaret, not even Liz.
Just one unread system notification reminding him that Room 24's bill was due in three days. If he didn't pay by then, he'd be out,literally.
---
The next morning, Billy swallowed his pride and stepped into YoruMart, a discount megastore chain notorious for chewing through workers like gum before spitting them out.
