Zara and Amara walked through Lagos' merged reality, people dancing with VR headsets , street vendors selling digital art , and food that tasted like memories.
Amara's phone buzzed – an anonymous message: "Meet me at the Beach Road pier. Come alone."
Zara raised an eyebrow. "You gonna go?"
Amara nodded, curious. "Feels like a setup."
At the pier, a figure waited – Echo, shades on, expression unreadable.
"The Market likes you," he said. "New job. The Architect's blueprint leaked. Find it."
Zara appeared beside Amara. "What's the Architect building?"
Echo's gaze flicked between them. "A Lagos of his design. No room for dreams like yours."
Amara smiled, sly. "We got this."
Echo handed them a chip . "Location. Don't fail."
The blueprint led to an abandoned warehouse in Apapa.