Page 68 of Broken Sentinel

As we walk toward the main building, I'm acutely aware of the strange new reality I inhabit, body enhanced beyond standard human parameters, caught between a man I trustedwho betrayed me and another who represents everything Unity taught me to fear.

And the strangest part? For the first time since my symptoms began, I don't feel afraid of what I'm becoming. The modifications that terrified me in Unity feel right here, as if something that was always meant to be part of me has finally awakened.

My mother's design or not, these abilities are mine now. What I do with them? That's the choice that remains entirely my own.

CHAPTER 14

A weekafter the Unity patrol incident, and I still can't decide which is stranger, my new body or my new reality.

I've been awake for hours, studying the changes in my hands—the slightly altered bone structure, the subtle shift in skin texture, the way tiny blue veins map beneath the surface in patterns that weren't there before.

These modifications aren't just enhancements anymore.

They're…me.

A knock at my door breaks my concentration. Dr. Reid stands in the hallway, a data tablet tucked under his arm and dark circles beneath his eyes suggesting he's been up all night.

"Sorry to disturb you," he says, "but we've made some discoveries about your mother's research that I thought you'd want to see."

My stomach tightens. I still can't think of Elara Thorne as my mother without a surge of complicated emotions—anger, curiosity, grief for a connection I can barely remember.

“Give me a minute,” I tell him. He nods and exits the room as I slip on the same clothes I was wearing yesterday and step out into the hall.

"What kind of discoveries?" I ask, following Reid down the corridor.

"We've been analyzing the data recovered from the old research facility," he explains. "And we've found detailed records of the Haven children project—including specifics about your modifications."

The research lab occupies what was once a pre-collapse medical facility, its equipment salvaged and repurposed from various sources. Nothing matches, unlike Unity's perfectly standardized technology, but somehow it all works together—a metaphor for Haven's Edge itself.

Nora and several other researchers are already there, clustered around a central display table. Trent stands slightly apart, arms crossed over his chest, expression unreadable. His eyes meet mine briefly as I enter, then slide away.

We've maintained careful distance since the patrol incident, our interactions limited to necessary communications. The anger I felt at his deception has cooled from scalding rage to a persistent ache, but trust once broken isn't easily repaired. Still, I find myself subtly swiping the sleep away from my eyes, wishing I spent more time getting ready. I could have at least looked in a mirror.

"Zara," Nora greets me. "We were just reviewing your mother's design specifications."

That phrase—design specifications—makes my skin crawl. Like I'm a product, not a person.

"And what do they say about me?" I ask.

Reid taps the display, bringing up complex genetic diagrams swirling with data markers. "Your modifications are unlike anything we've seen in other Splinters. Most adaptations occur in response to specific environmental pressures—radiation resistance, temperature regulation, toxin proccesing."

"But yours," Nora continues, "were designed for adaptive versatility rather than specialized function. Your mothercalled it 'evolutionary acceleration'—the ability to develop appropriate modifications in response to changing conditions."

I stare at the display, tracing the intricate patterns with my eyes. "So I'm not just modified. I'm designed tokeepmodifying?"

"Essentially, yes," Reid confirms. "Your base DNA includes what Elara called 'adaptive nodes'—genetic triggers that activate specific changes based on environmental input."

"Like your enhanced vision developing infrared capabilities after exposure to low-light conditions," Nora adds, "or your skin adapting to filter toxins after environmental exposure."

"So I'm just going to keep changing?" The thought is both thrilling and terrifying. "For how long?"

Reid and Nora exchange glances. "That's unclear," Reid admits. "Elara's notes indicate the process should stabilize once your body achieves optimal adaptation to your environment."

"And if my environment keeps changing?"

"Then theoretically, so would you," Nora says. "Within certain parameters."

Just fucking great. Not only am I a genetic experiment, I'm an open-ended one.

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