“Project Ascension was Wu’s contingency protocol.”
Ice settles through the room.
“What kind of contingency?” Lucas asks.
Gabriel looks toward Hannah briefly before answering.
“The creation of second-generation Sentinel operatives.”
Children.
Weaponized children.
Conditioned from birth.
My entire body tightens violently.
Hannah goes pale beside me.
Because now she understands what the doctor meant.
Not successor.
Prototype.
Wu wanted Hannah to become proof the conditioning process worked long term.
Gabriel’s jaw flexes hard.
“Ascension wasn’t just about controlling assets anymore.”
A beat.
“It was about building leadership loyal only to Sentinel.”
Lucas swears softly under his breath.
Russ looks murderous now.
“So Wu’s trying to create an army.”
Gabriel nods once.
“Yes.”
Silence crashes across the room.
Because suddenly this got even bigger.
Not trafficking.
Not isolated black sites.
A generational system.
A machine designed to keep replacing itself forever.
Hannah slowly lifts her eyes.
