Ethan woke up to the sound of birds singing outside his window. It was a sound he rarely heard anymore. Most mornings, the hum of delivery drones and self-driving vehicles filled the air before sunrise.
As he walked through the city, giant digital screens displayed news from every corner of the world. Artificial intelligence handled customer service, robots cleaned streets, and virtual classrooms had replaced many traditional schools.
His grandfather often told him stories about a different time.
"When I was your age," his grandfather said one evening, "people carried cash, waited in long lines, and spent hours traveling for work."
Ethan laughed. It sounded impossible.
The world had changed more in the last twenty years than it had in the previous hundred. Every month brought new inventions. Every year made old technology obsolete.
Yet despite all the progress, Ethan noticed something strange. People seemed busier than ever, but not necessarily happier.
He wondered where all this change was leading humanity.
That question would soon change his life forever.