Kaelen’s throat closed. In this timeline, the other Kaelen had lived. Had married Mira. Had fathered a son. The bleed hadn’t just taken Mira—it had copied her, overwriting the local version’s memories just enough to fit. She wasn’t lost. She was replaced.
The IGT Portal hummed behind him, waiting. igt portal
When he opened his eyes again, he was back in the IGT control room. Alone. The log showed: Transit #1000 completed. No anomalies detected. Kaelen’s throat closed
“Transit in ten seconds,” the Portal said. “Warning: Unauthorized destination. Probability of successful return: 34%.” Kaelen’s throat closed. In this timeline