By Jan 
stepped off the metro just as it exhaled a soft breath.
Literally.
The carriages sighed — a low, warm hum — reminding every passenger:
“You have arrived. Breathe before you move.”
I smiled.
No buzzing alarms. No neon ads chasing me down the platform.
Just an oak tree at the station entrance whispering:
“You’re enough.”
I wandered into the city square.
Above me, the grid shimmered — satellite veins threading the sky —
not blasting data into my skull, but pulsing gently,
inviting my own pulse to match.
My phone vibrated in my pocket: a soft nudge.
New Notification:
“Pause. Look around. Feel the sunlight on your skin. Optional, but delicious.”
I chuckled and slipped it back.
Around me, the world moved, but not in a rush.
People floated more than they walked.
A man was talking to a lamppost — or rather, the lamppost was listening, tilting its head slightly.
(Here, urban AI offered emotional support. Better than most ex-boyfriends.)
Shop windows blinked like sleepy cats.
One said, “Nothing you need today. Keep walking, gorgeous.”
Another teased, “If you insist, we do have ethically-sourced joy at 20% off.”
I felt light, almost too light.
A tiny flicker of old habit rose in me —
the itch to check something, do something, be productive.
Instantly, the air shifted.
The colors dulled, the grid trembled.
A kid on a bench looked up from her meditation orb and gave me a thumbs-down.
My phone, unbothered, buzzed:
“Detected minor gravitational slump. Suggested cure: Spontaneous Dance. Reboot Presence?”
Without thinking, I twirled once, arms open.
Passersby smiled and one old woman in a glittering robe clapped politely.
Snap — the world brightened.
The grid above shimmered back to its soft heartbeat.
The trees resumed their breathing.
The lamppost winked.
I strolled on, grinning like a fool.
A bakery storefront kissed me with the scent of warm bread and cinnamon.
A sign above the door read:
“Fresh Loaves for Present Souls Only.”
Perfect.
I stepped inside, the bell chiming not “ding-dong” but a tender “Welcome Home.”
Nullity — Because Presence is the real Wi-Fi.