Description

When a city's mirrors start whispering GIVE and every "helpful" filter turns LIVE into LATER, Mara Vale's answer is simple: say no—and make it stick.

Armed with salt brine, three quick notches in glass, and a palm that kills the shine in hungry surfaces, Mara and her tight crew—Caelan (winter in a fight), Sorrel (chaos with a Sharpie), Priest (saint of pragmatism), a bone-tired detective, and a union-minded dog—set out to rip an appetite out of public life. The enemy isn't a hooded cult; it's "nudges," coins, vents, and screens that try to sign your later away one polite bite at a time.

As citywide pressure mounts—from rigged valves to hospital mirrors to a gala runway turned trap—Mara has to weaponize boredom, crowd-teach refusal, and decide how far she'll go when the magic tries to write through her. Consent is law on the bridge and in the bedroom; heat is earned, not coy; maintenance beats miracles.