AI WHISPERS
"They sit right behind the ear, over the mastoid bone. Direct access to the vagus nerve and the sensory cortex."
I swallow hard. "So we just... stick them on?"
"We stick them on. We sync. And then..." He trails off, looking at the strip in his hand. "Then we disappear."
"Into each other," I finish.
"Or into the noise," he warns. "If it gets too intense, Mia... if you feel yourself slipping... say 'Red'. Loudly. The voice recognition will kill the feed instantly."
"Red," I repeat. "Got it."
He reaches out and brushes my hair back. His fingers are cool, trembling slightly. He presses the strip behind my ear. It feels cold and slimy for a second, then warms to body temperature.