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

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