With the level Caine's Will had reached, it was nearly impossible to create a clone of him without his consent. Even if an entity like Fate attempted it, Caine would immediately sense when a replica of himself had been made.
His existence was his own domain to control.
But this… the figure standing before him… he could tell it wasn't a clone. It was him. Truly and actually him, pulled from the past and brought to this moment in time.
As realization dawned on Caine, his past self came to a similar conclusion. Unlike Caine, who struggled to comprehend why such a moment had come to pass, the past version of himself seemed entirely indifferent. He accepted the situation in a heartbeat.
"I suppose my plans have borne fruit," he said calmly, his gaze shifting to the distant horizon.
His eyes were cold, calculating, and distant—a predator's gaze. It was as if he were always on guard, always devising countermeasures, always analyzing the world for flaws to exploit.
