"I have mastered the Time Domain."
He raised his hand, pointing out the window at the frozen night, at the motionless lights, at the bird stalled in mid-air.
"Do you see? This is the power of time. I can make it stop, make it reverse, and make it accelerate. You thought you killed me? You only killed my past self."
The corners of his mouth tilted up into a knowing smile.
"And as long as time continues to flow, I will be reborn in the future. As long as the balance is being broken, the Balance Keeper will never disappear."
Murphy fell silent.
He stared at the Ironspine Duke, his gaze as deep as an abyss.
After a moment, he spoke, his voice calm yet filled with an unmistakable resolve:
"I don't believe you."
The Ironspine Duke's smile didn't change. "It makes no difference if you don't believe me."
The instant his words fell—
He made his move.
There was no warning, no Energy Fluctuations, not even any movement.
But Murphy felt it.
