Daniel receives a mysterious sympathy box after his wife’s death that provides relief from grief. He discovers it amplifies his suffering to create dependency, feeding an entity that cultivates human grief. Unable to endure the amplified pain, Daniel accepts bargains to recruit others, climbing a hierarchy where reduced suffering is exchanged for facilitating exploitation. He transforms from victim to administrator as the entity achieves total dominion over human civilization, converting it into grief-cultivation infrastructure where billions depend on sympathy boxes.
