"You can't win a war between halves. You have to choose who you're going to be."—Kael (both of them)
Location – The In-Between
Kael stood between worlds.
One half of him pulsed with golden memory—the boy who chose to help, to protect.The other shimmered with obsidian power—Null-Kael, the fracture, the survivor of too many timelines.
His mind was a warzone.
Riri, Seris-Va, Wong, and Liora watched as Kael staggered, gripping his temples.
Images flashed through the rift-space like thunder:Tony dying.The Clock breaking.A thousand realities ending.A thousand Kaels choosing differently.
"You never saved anyone," Null-Kael spat from within. "You delayed failure."
Kael's body convulsed—then split.
Two Kaels. Standing opposite.Mirror images, but not reflections.
One in gold and silver.One in black and chrome.
Each with a different voice.
"I protected what I could.""And I destroyed what I had to."
They circled each other.
The Mirrorheart within Kael's chest flickered between the two—unsure where to anchor.
The Choice
"You're both part of me," Kael said, voice trembling."But only one of us gets to move forward."
"Then choose," Null-Kael said, raising his hand. "Or I'll choose for you."
Time fractured around them. Liora's hum began again—soft, steady.
"You don't fight yourself," she said.
"You heal."
Fusion
The Rift space collapsed inward—becoming tighter, more pressurized.
Kael stepped forward—toward himself.
He reached out.
His golden self took Null-Kael's hand.
And pulled him close.
"We end this together."
Light and shadow surged. The Mirrorheart pulsed like a supernova.
For a breathless second…
Everything stopped.
Aftermath – The Forest
The Rift sealed behind them, imploding into starlight.
The team reappeared in the forest, gasping, whole.
Kael collapsed to his knees, eyes flickering—both gold and black, then slowly stabilizing into a soft, luminous violet.
Riri rushed to his side.
"Are you—?"
"I'm here," Kael said quietly. "Both of me."
Seris-Va raised a brow. "And which one's driving?"
Kael smiled. "We're… still negotiating."
Everyone laughed. Even Wong.
Even Liora.
For now, balance had been restored.
❖ To Be Continued in Chapter 6 – The Architect of Echoes ❖