The figure remained still as he approached, its features obscured by distance and the strange way light refracted in this place. And then, as if sensing his hesitation, it spoke.
"You took your time."
The voice was familiar. Too familiar.
Jude's pulse quickened. He knew that voice.
It was his own.
He came to a halt. The figure took a step forward, and as it emerged from the distortion of distance, Jude felt his stomach tighten.
It was him.
Not a reflection, not an illusion.
It was him, standing there, dressed the same, eyes the same. But there was something different. This version of him stood with an ease he didn't possess, a confidence that felt foreign yet undeniable. The way he carried himself, the way his gaze met Jude's without hesitation, this was not merely a copy. This was someone… more.
Jude exhaled slowly. "Who are you?"
The other him smiled. It wasn't a mocking smile, nor was it cold. It was knowing.
"You already know."
