Leo realized too late that the was a beacon. It gave you the world, but it told the world exactly where you were.

The digital world of Neo-Carthage lived by a single rule: if it wasn't posted, it didn't happen. In this neon-soaked sprawl, social status was a literal currency, and the elite protected their "Exclusives"—high-definition memories and encrypted lifestyle feeds—behind layers of corporate firewalls.

One rainy Tuesday, the download finally finished. The icon on Leo’s cracked tablet hummed with a faint, rhythmic violet light.