Chapter 1: Death
The sky was smothered in thick, acrid smoke.
Sunlight barely managed to pierce through the gaps, casting dim light over the gray cityscape.
I adjusted my mask tightly before stepping onto the street.
Without a mask, it was impossible to walk outside for more than five minutes.
"Haaah."
I let out a deep breath through the filter.
This was no longer the Seoul I remembered from my childhood.
Between the towering skyscrapers and futuristic architecture, the old alleyways remained, now filled with people sprawled out like lifeless bodies.
Most of them wore virtual reality headsets, completely disconnected from reality.
Maybe, to them, the virtual world was a far better place to exist than this one.
"I really need to find a new place to live..."
Grumbling under my breath, I carefully weaved through the bodies.