Chapter 321: The Game
***
{Outside The Projection}
Ohhh. That was low. Real low.
The moment passed quickly, no major reveal, just one tiny flicker of a shadow.
But that was more than enough. Because those who caught it?
Their eyes all snapped to Roya.
And she knew it too.
She had been seen back then.
Not even a week since his arrival, and she was already caught snooping around in his chambers.
Yeah. That was her. Breaking in. Thinking she was slick.
Malik saw it, yet said nothing, this whole damn time.
He didn’t call her out but, instead, let her leave.
Let her think she got away with it.
And now, in front of everyone—the entire world—it was shown for what it was…
Sinbad’s words spoke true, not only when she was before death, but now as well.
Pity.
He pitied her.
Likely thought that he had killed her loved ones.
Thought that she came for revenge. To end the “Stranger.”
The reason for this pity must’ve changed later on, but for now?
…It was a pity born from sympathy.
“Tch…”
Someone from her camp clicked their tongue.
Embarrassment. That was what they felt.
It was not for themselves but for her.
Roya, at first glance, didn’t seem to be bothered, but the little frown on her brow—yeah, she felt it.
The humiliation was lethal.
She’d branded herself the world’s top informant.
The eyes and ears of the coalition. The one who always knew everything.
And she got caught slipping in the first week.
“Hah… and she calls herself an information broker?”
That came from Huda, loud enough for everyone to hear.
Layla, Azeem, and a few others chuckled.
Roya didn’t bite back.
She didn’t need to, having already lost.
And yet… she didn’t fold. She didn’t crumble like the rest of them probably would have.
Roya remained silent with only the sheer force of her pride holding her chin up.
Yeah, she fucked up.
Yeah, she wasn’t shit.
But she wasn’t going to act like she was.
Because if SHE wasn’t anything compared to Malik… then what the Hell did that make the rest of them?
Worms?
Dust?
Air?
Maybe.
At least that’s what she told herself.
Because if she didn’t hold on to that thought, then she might’ve broken right then and there.
And that, more than anything, was what kept her standing.
Even as the projection kept burning.
***
{Inside The Projection}
The next morning, Roya was the first one waiting for Malik when he arrived.
She wore loose training clothes, her uniform back in her room.
“Y-You know that I hate you, don’t you?”
And she came at him swinging.
Malik walked past her, not bothering to answer.
Not minding that, she continued, following him as she spoke:
“And you hate me because I talk back. Because I challenge you.”
He paused before the arena, where the rest of the class waited.
Turning around, his eyes met hers.
“I don’t feel anything for you.”
Roya trembled beneath his gaze.
“So…”
Her head snapped down.
“You don’t care for what I do?”
Malik turned back, his face unreadable.
“…Just don’t kill yourself.”
She blinked.
That wasn’t what she expected.
Not at all… she came thinking she could rouse something out of him.
But rather than that, he made her confused, and for the killing blow:
“Class starts now.”
He didn’t give her time to reply.
Her actions were just that inconsequential to him.
And she… she took that as a challenge.
She’d show him how great she was!
…
Now that he knew who he was dealing with, Malik decided to start following the Academy’s… curriculum, or at least some of it.
Today’s lesson was about resonance.
How one could connect their Aether to their intent without destroying their body. How they could use it while circulating it through their veins without even activating an ability. And, in turn, how best they could use those veins, accurately following the path.
A few students were struggling, especially Zafar, who kept flaring his aura like a cracked torch.
Any other student might’ve died with each ’flare,’ but Zafar escaped death as easily as he breathed, lessening the impact only to a stumble.
“It’s not responding! It just won’t stay still.”
Malik looked at him.
“Because you’re loud inside.”
He answered from his place in the shade under a watchtower.
“Calm Magi bend Aether. The rest just break.”
Zafar frowned, clearly annoyed.
“So you’re saying I can’t calm down? Is that the problem?”
Malik nodded at him.
“You’ll die before you grow.”
“…”
“…”
“…”
Silence.
He gave no comforting words, just the truth.
The rest of the students didn’t seem to care, getting used to him already.
Or perhaps they were simply too focused on themselves to even hear.
Noor was the most focused, as she dominated the rest with her control.
It was to be expected after seeing just how skilled she was at moving that fire while dancing, but still, it somewhat surprised Malik, as this was obviously a big step above what he saw last week.
Just how did she improve so much in a single day?
Perhaps it wasn’t only Roya and Zafira who had secrets.
…Malik’s eyes turned to Noor.
They stayed.
Whatever secret she had, he’d find out.
***
{Outside The Projection}
And just like that…
The Hall shifted.
Because now every single person knew—
Malik was onto all three.
And not one of them had any idea.
He had the others and Noor clocked since early.
It was simply incredible how observant he was.
Perhaps that was expected considering what he had gone through.
Though those lessons were Hell, almost literally, they actually did help him.
“…Hah.”
If this secret was even half as shocking as Zafar’s was, then damn, what the Hell was their leadership?
Everyone turned to Noor.
The one standing not ten steps from the projection.
And oh, she was frozen.
In shock like never, ever before.
Wide-eyed. And trying so fucking hard to not show anything.
Everyone noticed it. But none of them dared say anything.
This was big.
They could see signs of it in her face, the panic, but buried under layers of control. She looked calm, sure. But the twitch in her brow, the way her hand slowly curled into a fist?
She was shaking inside.
Because it wasn’t just that Malik looked at her.
It was how he looked at her.
He knew.
No way around it.
He fucking knew.
She wasn’t just some genius fire dancer. She had more—way more.
Maybe not of her system, but that she had a Blessing, which wasn’t far from the truth.
And perhaps he later figured out her reincarnated mind.
Who knew?
Malik wasn’t someone who could be measured or put in boundaries.
The impossible was just another day for him.
Noor turned fully toward Sinbad.
The bird of the Golden Throne.
’Does he know?’
Her voice didn’t come out, but there was no need to.
It was there. In her lips. In her eyes. In her whole body.
SHE HAD TO KNOW!
Because if Malik knew she was a reincarnator…
A soul not of this planet…
If he knew she had a Goddamned system…
Then what the Hell had he been planning this whole time?
Why train her? Unlike Zafar, she wasn’t even of this world.
Why not stop her? Kill her?
Or worse…
Why let her believe she had a chance at sitting on the Golden Throne?
This wasn’t just about Malik anymore.
This was about the game.
And this confirmed that she never had any control over it.
A secret that, besides Sinbad, only Safira knew.
Because, well… she was a transmigrator.
She read that “novel” of hers.
It was another blessing, but she didn’t know that.
That was one she had likely gotten at birth.
Safira, a name for a traveller.
It couldn’t have been a coincidence.
Neither Roya nor Noor.
Indeed… it was a game.
A game they lost.
***
{Inside The Projection}
Malik sat alone in the dark, candlelight flickering off his desk.
He had maps spread across it. Papers marked with strange runes.
His eyes didn’t land on any of it. He just sat there, head down, fingers locked together.
“…Preparations will start soon.”
It was about time for him to make his first move.
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