The air in the Dodoma ruins didn’t just grow cold; it turned stagnant, smelling of old iron and clinical death. Nala stood amidst the sparking remains of the Phoenix server, her breath hitching as the final data transfusion finished carving its way through her mind.
Leo was standing five feet away, his amber eyes wide with a sudden, agonizing clarity. The violet haze of the Architect had retreated, but it had left behind something much worse: the truth. Not the truth of the war, but the truth of their pulse.
"Nala..." Leo’s voice was a broken whisper. He was clutching his chest, right where the pulse port had been. "The connection... it’s not just the code. I can feel your heartbeat inside my own ribs. It’s too synchronized. It’s too... perfect."
Nala shook her head, her hands trembling
