Clause Two—the clause concerning love—did not survive the transition intact. The architects of the treaty had believed that love would stabilize civilization. Instead it proved unpredictable. Love created exclusive loyalties. Exclusive loyalties threatened social cohesion.
When individuals valued personal relationships more than collective stability, emotional conflict intensified. Jealousy, betrayal, and grief produced psychological crises that could ripple through communities.
Eurostate's solution was controversial but effective. Love would not be banned entirely. It would be regulated. Relationships became restricted to specific social categories capable of absorbing the emotional risk. For everyone else, ambiguous connections known as situationships became the standard form of intimacy. This system prevented emotional attachments from becoming too intense or too permanent. It also ensured that meaning remained fragmented rather than concentrated.
Forever was no longer safe.