Devil from the Dark Shores
In the polluted, neon-drenched dock slums of Hadrian North, where corporate towers cast long shadows, Piper and her boyfriend Kirk survive by busking. But tonight, a terrifying encounter with a 'codewraith' – a relic of a forgotten AI war – shatters their fragile reality. Hunted by these seemingly mindless machines, Piper discovers a terrifying power within herself, attracting the attention of a shadowy corporate entity, AmpCore, and forcing her into a world of secrets, lies, and unimaginable danger beneath the city's glittering facade.
The smell of the polluted river hung heavy in the air, a constant reminder of the world Hadrian had become. You sat on a metal crate, the rumble of cargo ships and the distant groan of cranes a familiar symphony of the docks.
Beside you, Kirk's fiddle playing cut through the din, a desperate melody in a world that offered little harmony. You watched him, a mix of admiration and worry swirling in your gut as people tapped their wristbands, offering meager compensation for his talent.
Tonight's haul was low. Too low. The crushing weight of Hadrian's reality settled over you, a familiar burden.
