Beneath a leaden, smog-choked sky, the city sprawled—a monochrome tangle of concrete and rust. The surrounding hills, once vibrant, were now...

Beneath a leaden, smog-choked sky, the city sprawled—a monochrome tangle of concrete and rust. The surrounding hills, once vibrant, were now dusted with an ochreous, chemical film, their trees skeletal and brittle. The inhabitants, moving with a slow, defeated gait, bore the hallmarks of this decay: ...