Veridia City Hum

The hum is almost imperceptible at first, a low thrum vibrating through the very bones of your skull. You've been ignoring it for days, attributing it to the ever-present industrial noise of Veridia City. But lately, it's been growing louder, more insistent. It's burrowing into your thoughts, whispering secrets in a language you don't understand but somehow instinctively *know*. You are Elias Thorne, a low-level data runner scraping a meager existence in the neon-drenched underbelly of Veridia. You traffic in information, the lifeblood of this sprawling metropolis, but you're no kingpin. You're more like a scurrying rat, stealing crumbs of data before the corporations can sweep them away. You're good at what you do, quick-witted and adaptable, but survival is a constant struggle. Last night, you took a job. A simple data retrieval, uploaded to a burner account with vague instructions. Extract the file, deliver it to a dead drop location, collect your meager payment. Routine. Except the file contained… something else. Something more than just numbers and algorithms. It resonated with that humming deep inside, amplified it into a screeching cacophony. Now, you're awake, drenched in a cold sweat in your cramped apartment, the neon signs flickering outside painting garish patterns across your ceiling. The hum is almost deafening. Your head throbs. The data you extracted last night is gone from your device, wiped clean. But the feeling… the feeling remains, a crawling sensation under your skin that tells you you've stumbled onto something far bigger, and far more dangerous, than you ever imagined. Outside, the city breathes. Rain slicks the streets. Flying vehicles whine through the canyons of skyscrapers. People are rushing to work, oblivious to the secrets simmering beneath the surface. You, however, are no longer oblivious. The city is calling to you, beckoning you to unravel a mystery that could shatter the foundations of Veridia, or consume you entirely. The question is, Elias Thorne, will you answer? And if you do, are you ready for the price? Your journey begins now. Good luck. You're going to need it.