The Drowning District of Valaria was not a place mentioned in the colorful "Investment Brochures" handed out at the Expo. If the Sun Court was the "Front-End" of the city—shiny, polished, and user-friendly—then the Drowning District was the "Backend Code" that no one wanted to look at. It was a labyrinth of half-submerged stone alleys, rotting wooden piers, and the constant, rhythmic sound of the tide slapping against the foundations of ancient buildings.
In my old life, I had walked through the "Financial Districts" of London and New York at 3:00 AM, feeling the hum of silent servers and the cold wind between skyscrapers. But this was different. The fog here didn't just obscure the view; it felt like "Data Noise," thick and suffocating, muffling the sound of my own boots on the damp cobblestones.
