The door across the observation room slid open with surgical precision. Cold white light spilled across the polished floor. Selara’s pulse thudded in her ears.
Kael shifted subtly in front of her, every muscle coiled. “Stay behind me.”
“I’m done hiding,” she whispered.
The woman at the console didn’t look concerned. She looked… expectant.
From the open doorway, footsteps echoed. Measured, steady. Then a figure stepped into the light.
Selara’s breath left her body. It was her. Not identical but close enough to fracture reality. Same height, same build, same dark hair pulled back tight. Even the scar on the collarbone but the eyes were different. Colder, empty of hesitation.
Kael’s voice dropped dangerously. “That’s not possible.”
The woman at the console spoke calmly. “Behavioral arc
