The Ascendant Core

Ethan sat alone at his desk, deep in thought. The warm desk lamp cast a golden hue over the stacks of printed papers around him. Some were neatly arranged while others lay scattered, half-read and marked with notes. Dozens of tabs blinked quietly on his monitor, but tonight, it was the printed pages that mattered most.

Each page held a glimpse of something valuable. Bits of theory, fragments of invention, traces of discovery. Biology, chemistry, engineering, medicine. This wasn't just research. This was preparation for something far more serious.

He ran a hand through his hair, the memory of the video Yamal had shown still burned into his thoughts. Metallic limbs turning into weapons. Artificial Ascendants going toe-to-toe with Mark. They weren't just enhancements. They were transformations.

He picked up one of the documents. It was a dense paper on advanced genetic manipulation. The writing was technical and difficult, but one sentence stood out.