Watts' mind raced as the shockwaves of their battle rattled the nest. His future self was relentless, every attack feeling like a critique of his very soul.
The egg pulsed in the background, its energy growing unstable. Each second dragged him closer to disaster—not just for himself but for this entire world.
And then it hit him.
Fighting wasn't the answer. This wasn't a test of strength. The wolf, the voice in the nest, even his duplicate—they were all trying to tell him something.
The egg wasn't just a keystone of power; it was tied to the essence of this world. To take it by force would only lead to ruin.
It was like getting a car and removing its engine. The car would not work anymore unless you replaced the engine.
From the beginning, he had been warned about the price of power, but in any case, it was the price of force—using power to force a situation to unfold the way you want it to, without following the wheels of fate.
