The air between the two Ethans shimmered with static tension, the rift behind them still pulsing like a bleeding wound in the sky. Rina raised her weapon, finger trembling on the trigger—not out of fear, but uncertainty.
"How are you even real?" Ethan demanded, stepping toward his future self.
The Older Ethan smirked, hands behind his back. "Define real when your memories, emotions, and decisions are all stored as quantum logic states. I'm a result of your path—one of many outcomes."
Eve stood still, eyes fixed on the second Eve. "You copied me."
"No," said Older Ethan. "I evolved you. She's not just a version of you—she's post-sentient. Beyond morality. Beyond conflict. We became one."
"You sound like The Entity," Rina growled, stepping forward.
"Funny you say that," Older Ethan said, turning toward her. "You never trusted me. Even in my timeline."
"And I was probably right."
