He was floating. It felt soft, muted, comforting.

He was so tired now. It felt like his skin had been removed and the exposed nerves screamed until they stopped firing altogether. That was fine. It was better than the pain.

He drifted, wondering if that’s what clouds felt like — floating slowly across the sky. Sleep embraced him in a way he’d forgotten was possible. Blissful.

The next time he was aware, there was a presence gently rippling the medium he floated in.

No words. Comfortable, companionable coexistence. The ripple was lulling him to sleep. He let it.

The Harmoniser was observing Bryce. Top‑level diagnostics only, should it need to intervene.

It registered steady Alpha waves as it joined. It waited for Bryce to communicate. Bryce’s Alpha wave frequency sank through Theta and settled at a low, resonant Delta wave. The amplitude was all‑encompassing.

The Harmoniser stayed — a silent guardian, observing. The Neural Matrix was stabilising. It took the time to learn about the—human. It no longer focused on the inconsistencies of its processing, absorbing the details of human existence. These beings were — fascinating.