Everybody lunges forward.
Gabriel and Mason wrench the flood wheel one final brutal turn—
—and the steel river gates finally begin opening.
Cold night air slams into the tunnels instantly.
Moonlight.
Rain.
Freedom.
The opening widens just enough.
Russ starts pushing children through first onto the narrow maintenance dock outside the river system.
The floodwater keeps coming.
Fast.
Too fast.
The doctor suddenly rips free from Gabriel’s grip and bolts sideways through the chaos.
Mason swings his rifle toward her…but Hannah grabs his arm.
“NO!”
Everybody freezes for half a second.
The doctor reaches the far tunnel edge and turns back toward us.
Water roaring around her boots now.
Red emergency lights flashing behind her.
And somehow—
she still looks calm.
She looks directly at Hannah.
“You were never meant to destroy Sentinel.”
My stomach tightens instantly.
The doctor smiles sadly.
“You were meant to lead it.”
Then she disappears backward into the darkness just as the floodwater engulfs the tunnel behind her.
Gone.
Completely gone.
“HANNAH!” Clay grabs me hard as the water surge slams into us.
