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Too late. The fifth wave crashes through us, dissolving the last boundaries between our minds. There's no separation now, no Trent-thoughts and Zara-thoughts, just a unified consciousness experiencing two bodies simultaneously.

And with that unity comes complete transparency. For one blinding moment, every hidden feeling, every secret longing I've harbored for Trent lies exposed between us, and his for me.

The shock of it jolts through both of us like a physical blow. His eyes widen, locked on mine, as the truth crashesover us both: this is more than partnership, more than professional respect or compatibility.

This is something Unity would never allow, something that breaks every rule of Sentinel conduct.

This is?—

"Extraordinary," Ellis breathes, oblivious to our internal revelation. "Your neural patterns have achieved perfect synchronization. 100% alignment. In seventy years of the Sentinel program, this has never been documented."

Through our joined minds, I feel Trent's immediate understanding of the danger. If Unity discovers the true nature of our connection, we'll be separated immediately. Sentinel partners with emotional attachments are considered compromised assets, security risks to be neutralized through reassignment.

Or worse.

With a mental discipline that I feel as much as I see, Trent begins carefully rebuilding the barriers between us, creating a surface-level synchronization that reveals nothing of what lies beneath. I follow his lead, helping to build a facade that will satisfy the monitoring systems while protecting our newly discovered secret.

"Unusual fluctuation in the quantum field," Ellis notes, frowning at her displays. "Synchronization level appears to be...adjusting."

"The deep sync was likely a temporary spike," Trent says smoothly, his voice perfectly controlled despite the storm I can feel raging inside him. "First-time access to higher levels often produces unstable results."

Ellis looks unconvinced but nods. "We'll maintain level five observation for the standard duration. Please remain connected."

For the next two and a half hours, Trent and I perform a delicate mental dance—maintaining enough synchronization to satisfy the monitors while carefully avoiding the completetransparency that revealed our true feelings. It's beyond exhausting, like trying to hold back an ocean with our bare hands.

Through it all, our physical connection remains unbroken, his hands warm around mine. Occasionally his thumbs brush against my wrists in what might be accidents but feel like reassurances.

I don't dare examine too closely what happened in that moment of perfect alignment. The implications are too dangerous, too overwhelming to process while still connected to him. But I can't deny what I felt.

What we both felt.

That…want. That need. So palpable it takes everything in me not to revel in it.

"Synchronization session complete," Ellis finally announces. "Beginning disconnection sequence."

The levels dissolve one by one, our minds gradually separating back into distinct consciousnesses. When the final connection breaks, the sudden absence feels like a physical wound—a piece of myself torn away and returned to him.

"You may disengage physical contact," Ellis says, focusing on the final readings.

Trent's hands remain around mine for several heartbeats longer than necessary. When he finally pulls away, his fingertips trail against my palms in a touch so light it might be my imagination—except that the skin tingles long after the contact ends.

"Preliminary results show exceptional compatibility," Ellis says, collecting data from the monitoring stations. "Your team has set a new benchmark for neural synchronization potential. Command will be quite interested in these findings."

I can imagine. The question is what exactly they'll be interested in. Our effectiveness as Sentinels, or the anomalies that seem to be multiplying around us?

"You're free to recover and return to quarters," Ellis continues. "Your next duty rotation begins at 0600 tomorrow." She pauses, studying us with renewed interest. "I'll be overseeing all your synchronization sessions moving forward. We have much to explore with your unique neural compatibility."

Great. Just what we need, more scrutiny.

Ellis exits the chamber, leaving us alone for the first time since the synchronization began. The silence between us feels charged with everything we can't say in a monitored Unity facility.

I stand on slightly shaky legs, moving behind the privacy screen to change back into my uniform. My mind is racing, trying to process everything that happened during those moments of complete connection.

He knows. He knows exactly how I feel about him.

And I know that he?—

A sudden warmth trickles from my nose, interrupting my thoughts. I touch my face, fingers coming away red with blood. Nosebleeds aren't uncommon after intense synchronization, but this feels different, heavier, more concerning given my recent enhancement issues.