The city, a relentless beast crafted from towering steel and unyielding noise, had finally worn me down to my core. Its constant thrum?a chaotic symphony made up of blaring car horns, the incessant clatter of jackhammers, and the overlapping murmur of countless conversations?had burrowed under my skin, leaving me raw, frayed, and perpetually on edge. Sleep offered no solace, serving merely as a fleeting pause before the onslaught surged back in with renewed vigor.