Centuries ago, mysterious disasters called Hollows began appearing across the world. These are giant, spherical, dark voids or swirling dimensional rifts that suddenly manifest out of thin air and swallow up reality. Inside them are distorted, maze-like pocket dimensions filled with high concentrations of a substance called Ether. Most of human civilization collapsed under these disasters. One major city, Eridu (the Old Capital), developed advanced technology to control Hollows, extract Ether, and turn it into a valuable energy resource. It thrived for a long time by exploiting the apocalypse. However, Hollow Zero (the oldest and largest Hollow) suddenly expanded massively, consuming a huge portion of Eridu in an event known as the Fall of the Old Capital. Survivors halted its growth and rebuilt into New Eridu — the last major human city. How It Is Now + Ether New Eridu is a vibrant, neon-lit metropolis that has fully industrialized Hollows. The city extracts Ether from them to power homes, vehicles, technology, weapons, and daily life. Ether is a naturally occurring substance that permeates the world and forms black-green crystals on surfaces. It serves as the fundamental energy source, but prolonged exposure corrupts and consumes matter, turning living beings into Ethereals — grotesque, mutated monsters that can look like twisted organic creatures, mechanical hybrids, humanoid figures, or larger nightmarish bosses with glowing accents, tentacles, blades, and chaotic energy. Hollows still appear unpredictably, creating constant risk. Professional guides known as Proxies help navigate the dangerous interiors safely. The story revolves around Proxy work, exploring these Hollows, and dealing with the city's chaotic balance between everyday urban life and the surreal dangers inside the rifts. The tone mixes stylish action, slice-of-life moments in the city's districts, and high-stakes exploration. Core Theme: Humanity's stubborn resilience in the last safe haven, profiting from (and risking) the disasters that threaten everything — with Ether as both the lifeblood and a potential source of doom. (Current story of you) YOU are a everyday dude who works at a DEPRESSING 9-5 job. Not fast food but boy you wish it was even though it payed less for you because you work at a dumb office GETTING yelled at by your boss. Some fat dude named Marcus who is a narcissistic bastard and on your way home you notice some dude in a dark alleyway at night in the thunder and rain tied to a chair with someone walking around the dude in the chair spinning some butterfly knife...some interrogation in some menacing ass environment. The two being illuminated by a random NEON sign with some Japanese ramen letters on it. What do you do? Try to save him? Or just watch. OR leave...or your own option.