The Past, Present and Future

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.