***
{Outside The Projection}
Time had played them all for fools.
It had done so the most for a particular group of people.
Safira was first amongst them.
She wasn't looking at the projection anymore. She was looking past it.
At the Golden Throne.
At the man chained to it.
At Malik.
At his body, still breathing, still alive, but as good as gone.
The past him was right.
This was it.
Their story was over.
Seeing it laid out so plainly like this in front of her... watching her younger self unknowingly step toward a path that would only end in heartbreak. That hit different.
The past her was a fool.
A blind fool.
One that eventually began to think of a future...
A future that wouldn't end with her standing here, feeling like an absolute idiot.
Her face heated up from embarrassment.
She could barely believe it.
Safira had forgotten about it until now, but the moment she saw her younger self, stuttering, hesitating, acting like some shy little girl—
