The second Kael groans.
Slowly moving.
Blood on his face.
Aria looks between them.
"…what is happening."
Jonas whispers.
"Two Kaels."
Kael stares at the man on the ground.
His own face.
Older.
More tired.
The second Kael opens his eyes.
They land on Aria.
Immediately.
Relief floods his expression.
"…you're alive."
Aria freezes.
"You know me?"
He tries to stand.
Fails.
Kael grabs his collar.
"Who are you?"
The man laughs weakly.
"…you already know."
Their eyes lock.
Same eyes.
Same scars.
The creature speaks quietly.
"A future anomaly."
Jonas sighs.
"Of course it is."
Future Kael finally looks at himself.
Younger.
Unbroken.
"…this is earlier than I expected."
Aria whispers.
"Expected for what?"
Future Kael looks straight at her.
"For the end."
The room goes silent.
Elias steps forward.
"Which end?"
Future Kael answers calmly.
"The one where everyone dies."
Jonas rubs his face.
"Fantastic."
Aria steps closer.
Her heart racing.
"What happens?"
Future Kael hesitates.
Then looks directly at the other Kael.
"You let her die."
The words hit like thunder.
Silence crashes down.
Aria slowly turns toward Kael.
Her voice barely audible.
"…is that true?"
Kael says nothing.
But the future version speaks again.
"You thought it would fix everything."
Aria feels the world tilt.
"Fix what?"
Future Kael whispers.
"Time itself."
The cracks in reality spread wider.
The shadows behind them pressing harder.
Watching.
Waiting.
And somewhere in the broken timelines…
something enormous begins to wake up.