She looked at his face. Memorized the shape of his jaw, the way his hair fell across his brow. She thought of a life without him — a quiet, safe, gray existence. And she knew she'd rather die feeling everything than live feeling nothing.
The night before they were to be taken, Emilia found Mateo waiting on the rooftop of Sector 7. The city lights glittered below — cold, orderly, loveless.
Emilia felt the words land like a stone in still water. She looked at his face
They climbed down the fire escape, crossed the forbidden bridge, and disappeared into the dark.
Then the Registry discovered an anomaly. Two citizens with elevated romantic biomarkers. An investigation was opened. And she knew she'd rather die feeling everything
But Emilia had stopped drinking the water three months ago.
That confession was a bomb. They both knew it. To stop suppressants was an act of rebellion punishable by reconditioning — a memory wipe of all emotional attachments. Two offenses meant exile to the Outlands, where no one survived long. Emilia felt the words land like a stone in still water
Emilia knew the rules. At twenty-two, she had never held a hand for longer than a handshake. She had never looked into someone's eyes and felt her pulse race. That was the goal. The state administered a daily suppressant in the water supply — a gentle inhibitor of oxytocin and dopamine spikes tied to romantic attachment.