The Integration Council emergency meeting room felt smaller with seventeen holograms crowding the space around our conference table. Academy directors from every continent looked exhausted—dark circles under their eyes, coffee cups forgotten and cold, the weight of coordinating global hybrid children defense wearing on everyone.
"Tokyo reports their children are maintaining stable dream-connections," Dr. Yamamoto said through his hologram feed. "But Kenji experienced what he calls 'shadow-sickness' during the last collective session."
"Define shadow-sickness," Agent Williams requested, her fingers flying across her tablet as she documented every detail.
"Temporary loss of emotional resonance. For approximately twenty minutes after breaking connection with the shadow-world, Kenji couldn't feel happiness or sadness. Only... emptiness."
