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In a dystopian future where three infusions grant a thousand years of painless life, the Preexistent Ser Mad delivers his eternal address to the nation: everything is perfect, nearly everyone happy between 7 and 9 on the Hartmann Scale.
But beneath the surface, the frens resist.
Every Christmas, in three minutes of vulnerability, they swap hearts using a forbidden machine.
Because the real heartbeat can't be infused.
It's stolen. It's given. It's loved.
A short story of rebellion woven from muffled laughter, unsteady embraces, and children playing outside a hidden refuge.
A tale of satire, tenderness, and clandestine hearts.