The Book Of Origin: Codex Architectus

Chapter 64: Time CONT'D

Father Time observed the Architect with an expression that was neither stern nor welcoming. It was simply there—eternal, unmoving, the way time itself had always been.

The Architect, however, was in motion. He was always in motion. Even as he stood, his presence rippled, as though existence itself was shifting around him.

"You are a strange one," Father Time finally said. "Most who come before me fear the passing of time. They beg for more of it. They curse it. They try to escape it."

The Architect tilted his head. "And yet, here I am. Not asking. Not cursing. Not escaping."

Father Time’s gaze deepened. "No. You are designing."

A small smile touched the Architect’s lips. "Of course."

Father Time lifted a hand.
And in that moment, the entire concept of Time bent around them.

The past, the present, the future—every moment that had ever been, and ever would be—collided in an infinite spiral. Events rewound and played forward. Histories collapsed. Destinies unraveled. Possibilities stretched outward in endless fractals.

The Architect simply watched.

He saw civilizations rise and fall in the span of heartbeats. He saw empires that never existed flicker into being and vanish in an instant. He saw every choice, every regret, every untaken path. He saw what had been, what could have been, what might still be.

And he smiled.

"Beautiful."

Father Time narrowed his eyes. "Is that all you have to say?"

The Architect lifted his hand, and with a single flick of his fingers—he redesigned Time.

Not in defiance. Not in destruction.
But in refinement.

The chaotic spiral of past, present, and future began to weave into something elegant.

A new pattern. A more efficient design.

Moments that had once been disconnected now flowed seamlessly. The weight of regrets lightened. The sharp edges of time’s cruelty softened—without losing its purpose.

For the first time in eternity, Time itself adjusted to something greater than what it had been.

Father Time let out a deep breath. Not in shock. Not in anger.

In understanding.

"You didn’t seek to destroy me."

The Architect nodded. "Why would I? You are already great. I simply made you greater."

Silence stretched between them.

Then, for the first time since the beginning of everything—Father Time bowed his head, just slightly.

"You are my equal."