Selena Veyra’s journey to becoming Erevania’s most prominent journalist was anything but conventional. Born in the rural province of Lycorda, she grew up witnessing firsthand the struggles of communities that often felt neglected by Athena’s sweeping reforms. Her parents were farmers who relied on outdated equipment and unstable markets, a stark contrast to the prosperity boasted by urban centers like Athenon.
But Lycorda was more than just struggling—it was restless. Over the years, resentment had festered within the province, as rural communities saw their concerns deprioritized in favor of AI-driven efficiency elsewhere. Farmers protested the forced adoption of Athena-optimized crop cycles, fearing loss of autonomy. Local activists emerged, forming resistance groups like The Liberators, advocating for human-led governance over AI decision-making.
Selena’s investigative instincts were sharpened in Lycorda, where exposing rural neglect was not just journalism—it was survival. Her early reports covering displaced farmers and failing local economies brought her first taste of political scrutiny. It was in Lycorda that she learned a truth that shaped her career: data-driven governance often overlooked the realities of human lives.
Determined to give a voice to the voiceless, Selena moved to the capital at the age of eighteen, working odd jobs to fund her education in media and communications. Her relentless pursuit of truth and her willingness to confront uncomfortable realities quickly earned her a reputation as a fearless investigator. Selena’s exposés on corporate corruption and rural neglect made her a household name, but they also earned her powerful enemies.
Yet, for all her accolades, Selena remained skeptical of Athena. While she respected the AI’s achievements, she believed its reliance on data often overlooked the human element—the stories and struggles that couldn’t be quantified. She had once written, “Athena sees numbers; I see people. Somewhere in between lies the truth.”
Selena’s career reached a turning point five years ago when she uncovered a conspiracy involving an influential corporation manipulating Athena’s algorithmic decisions. The exposé led to widespread reforms but also left her disillusioned about the system’s infallibility. She remained driven by a singular goal: to hold power—whether human or artificial—accountable.