The descent was nothing like stairs or elevators. It was memory.
Kade and Marei stood at the edge of a spiraling well of light beneath the Citadel's lowest point. A gravity-defying spiral hung in the air, composed of fractured reflections—memories, timelines, failed resets—all turning like gears in a watch crafted by gods and tyrants.
Marei whispered, "It's… bleeding through."
"Reality can't hold this much contradiction forever," Kade muttered. "This is the Realm Below—the place where deleted timelines fall."
He stepped forward, and the floor dissolved. Not into air—into thought.
---
His boots touched cold ground.
Fog. Thick, static-charged. The scent of ozone and burned circuitry filled his nose. Lights blinked beneath the fog—consoles, cables, neural interfaces. A lab, forgotten but alive.
Marei followed behind, her weapon drawn.
And then they saw it.
A single pod, broken open. Lights flickered across it, casting a blue-white glow on the figure standing beside it.
A man. Eyes like polished silver. No scars. No burns. But somehow…
"Kade," Marei gasped.
The man turned.
Identical face. Identical voice. But no weight in his gaze. No history.
"You made it," the copy said. "I was wondering how long it'd take."
"What is this?" Kade stepped forward.
"Insurance," the replica replied. "I was activated the moment you deviated too far from the planned loop. They call it Echo-Level Override. When a Catalyst King begins questioning the reset—another takes his place."
Marei's fingers tightened on her trigger. "You're a failsafe."
"No," the replica said calmly. "I'm the *original.*"
Kade's pulse spiked.
"Liar."
But the system didn't object.
**System Status: Dual Origin Conflict Detected.**
*Verifying chain of memory.*
*Conflict unresolved.*
The replica smirked. "You've been running on fragments, Kade. Someone fed you curated shards to turn you into a weapon. But I remember the *true* origin. The war. The first breach. The moment Catalyst was born."
He stepped closer.
"You're not the king. You're the echo."
Kade drew his blade.
"Let's see who remembers better."