***
{Outside The Projection}
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Silence.
Real silence.
It... it all had gone wrong.
Deeply, terribly wrong.
Just moments ago, the crowd wheezed from laughter, poking fun at Huda, howling at the absurdity of Malik being told that he was not on the list.
Now, mouths hung open, jaws hit the marble floor, and no one even blinked.
The only sounds were flickering flames and one old man choking on water he'd forgotten he was sipping.
"Wh...what...?"
Someone whispered it like it would summon the rest of the words.
It didn't.
Malik's head had exploded.
Just—gone. Blood. Bone. Brain. Gone.
And not in a dramatic duel. Not after an hour-long battle with his enemy.
No. After a smile. A smile, and then—pop. A grape under a heel.
"…That didn't just happen."
They were in disbelief.
Wasn't it finally time for Malik to show his prowess?
