The Wraith's power struck again, but this time it did not reach him. Old Man First's expression was firm, his aura unwavering. His hands weaved through the air, redirecting the storm of destruction away from Max. "It is done," he murmured as the Wraith's presence began to fade into the distance, its fury finally dissipating.
Max opened his eyes slowly. The space around him was calm once more, and his body glowed faintly with the light of two distinct flows—his own essence and the separated current of time that now coexisted beside him.
He had done it.
Old Man First exhaled softly and looked at him with quiet pride. "You have achieved what none before you ever could," he said. "You have divided your existence between now and forever. From this moment on, you are no longer bound by a single flow of time."
"There is still the last step," Max said quietly. His voice carried a weight that neither fear nor excitement could define. "To create the clone."
