***
{Outside The Projection}
"God…"
Someone whispered. Could've been anyone. Could've been everyone. But the moment it escaped, the entire hall went quiet.
Before them, the projection floated high, its image frozen—Malik, calmly standing tall before a crater of pure annihilation. He took no breath, showed no movement, and only stood.
Their Sultan had survived.
He hadn't won; no, he had survived.
And more than that, he guided certain death away.
"He really did it…"
"Return by Death, huh..."
"How many blinks did we see?"
"I don't think even a Mithqal could count it."
"He was torn apart every single time."
"His eyes, brother. His eyes, they... they..."
"Every time. Red, red, red… and then—BOOM!"
"Every damn time."
"Did you see how the wall went?"
"Yeah! Not exploded—imploded."
"The world gave up on holding it together."
"And, heh, the Sultan didn't even flinch."
They all looked again at the projection.
Malik was alive.
He was.
Truly.
