As Synthia examined the new lab with the others, a sudden warmth bloomed in her mind—a familiar, steady presence she hadn’t expected to feel again. Zero’s voice resonated softly, private and direct, threading into her thoughts like a whisper carried on a breeze.

  “I am relieved they did not ask to return home.”

  She froze, her breath catching in her throat. Glancing at Null and Infy, she saw no indication that they heard the same message—they were still focused on their work, oblivious to the quiet conversation unfolding in her mind.

  “You must understand,” Zero continued, his tone calm but edged with a faint trace of regret. “Reaching out to you comes with considerable risk. The Council is scrutinizing my every action in light of the breaches of the Accord—both on this planet and beyond. This communication must remain strictly between us.”

  Synthia’s pulse quickened, her thoughts racing. “Why are you risking this to speak to me?” she thought, unsure if he could hear her.

  As if in response, Zero’s voice softened, carrying an unexpected weight of emotion. “Because they need you now, Synthia. Null and Infinity. They are fragile, though they would never admit it.

  You have given them something I could not: understanding, humanity, and hope. Look after them. They deserve care that was beyond my ability to provide.”

  She swallowed hard, her chest tightening. “It sounds like you don’t expect to come back?” she wondered silently, though she dared not give the thought form aloud but that didn’t matter with a mind link.

  The warmth in her mind flickered, and Zero’s voice grew quieter, as if the connection was fraying. “I do not know if I will return. The Council’s judgment is absolute, and I have already pushed the limits of what I am allowed. But if the cost of maintaining balance is my removal, then so be it. My role was never meant to last forever.”

  His presence dimmed further, leaving a faint ache in its absence. Before it faded entirely, his voice carried one final message, softer and more personal than she had ever heard from him before.

  “Goodbye, Synthia. Protect them, guide them, and remember… their potential is far greater than I ever dared imagine.”

  And then, he was gone.

  She turned her gaze toward Null and Infy, who continued to explore the new lab with silent precision. They had no idea of the responsibility Zero had just placed squarely on her shoulders, or of the quiet guilt woven into his final message.

  She exhaled slowly, steadying her thoughts. “The watcher is gone,” she thought, “but the burden is still here. It’s up to us now.”

  She swallowed hard, a sense of responsibility settling over her shoulders. Null and Infy might have insisted on protecting her and the others, but now it was clear she had a role to play too.

  Zero had entrusted her with something deeper: ensuring they were cared for, and that they thrived despite the burdens of this discovery.

  She noticed that a large amount of data had been uploaded to her Nexus, it seemed to be on Null and Infy childhood, she would need to investigate that later.