Callista turned toward the window, eyes wide. This place…

Skyscrapers rose like glass monoliths, some of them so tall they disappeared into the low clouds above. Roads twisted and crisscrossed in layers—streets stacked like ribbons, some lit in soft blues, others blinking red and white with the rush of city traffic. Neon signs flickered from every corner: cafés, boutique labs, theaters, pharmacies, late-night bars. Giant digital billboards danced above intersections, advertising techwear, ...