Chapter 344: I HATE YOU
***
{Outside The Projection}
“…”
“…”
“…”
“…”
“…”
“…”
“…”
“…”
“…”
“…”
“…”
“…”
…Right.
Malik won that.
That really just happened.
It meant that he had successfully done the well, heh, the impossible.
Yeah. “The impossible.” He did that. Funny stuff.
In any case, that attack was…
It was incredible.
Both of them were.
And what an end it was.
“Did he—was that—did he fuse—”
“By God, what even was that strike?!”
“Was it sand? Was it fire? Was it poison?!”
“Yes.”
“EVERYTHING!”
A wild voice shouted.
“Isn’t five the max for a Jinn? How the fuck did he activate six?!”
“And did you SEE that snake?! Shit was ridiculous!”
“And he burned it too! The Sultan doesn’t do symbolism unless it’s lethal!”
“The guillotine shattered. You know how hard it is to break a guillotine made for killing Jinn?”
“Who cares about the guillotine?! The sky turned completely yellow! You ever seen a Jinn change the Goddamned weather?!”
While the young ones went on and on about that, murmurs turned into cheers.
The same cheers they heard from those of Templar.
“ALL HAIL!”
Only much louder now.
“ALL HAIL!”
And it wasn’t just them.
“ALL HAIL!”
Even the unreligious…
“ALL HAIL!”
The nobles and the beggars.
“ALL HAIL!”
Everyone who had hated Malik’s guts seven days ago.
“ALL HAIL!”
The entire world!
…Except a few.
Noor. Her camp, Roya’s camp, and those like them.
Those who still, after all that happened, despised Malik.
Because… misunderstanding or not, he did kill many of their loved ones.
That could never change, and neither could their hate; it was an impossible ask.
No amount of tragedy or kindness or faith or strength or belief or sympathy or beauty or poetry or love could change that.
The heart and mind were simple like that, very simple.
So as the world chanted, they had the courtesy of remaining quiet.
It was all they could do.
***
{Inside The Projection}
Malik was offered the crown.
The kingdom begged him to take the reins.
A man with such power, such strength, had to lead them.
He refused.
He liberated them; that was all he wanted to do.
What comes after liberation was for them to figure out.
Yes, he helped them and would continue to do so, but that was it.
Was it irresponsible? Maybe, maybe not; either way, that wasn’t his problem.
If they couldn’t handle themselves even with his support, then they didn’t deserve his saving.
Malik was tough like that. They needed to match his expectations if they were to ever earn his favor for anything more.
They could take a page out of Thueban’s book, for he certainly exceeded his expectations.
That attack was a great one; he should be proud of it.
But that was the only thing he could be proud of.
Everything else was taken away.
He was stripped of titles, lands, and legacy.
No one came to his defense, not even his many children.
The court trial regarding his assets was short; it took just enough time for people to spit at his name, and he was never spoken of again.
By then, though, another wave of support came to Malik.
Perhaps being reminded of who they once had made them want him even more.
A big committee of elders even came to Malik’s chambers. Brought him the crown. Said that the people trusted him. Said that they needed a new figurehead. Said that they believed.
Malik didn’t even touch it.
“If I take the crown, I become… him.”
Though dejected, the elders tried again the next day.
They offered a new title, a new system, and even stated that they could reforge the rules with Malik at the center.
He refused.
Every time.
He entertained no negotiations.
And then one day, just like that…
Malik disappeared.
All he left behind was a sealed letter on his desk.
It held only a few words.
{Do not think of me.
I am your enemy.
If you are asked, that’s what you’ll know me as.}
***
{Outside The Projection}
“…”
“…”
“…”
Indeed, that was why.
That was a why.
And the entire hall realized it.
“…So that’s it, huh?”
“Yeah.”
“That’s why our history never matched this…”
“Because he made sure it didn’t.”
“The Sultan lied to the world.”
“No… what he did was worse.”
“He shaped the truth.”
“You think no one noticed?”
“I’m sure some did, but that doesn’t matter now.”
“And they’re supposed to be the smartest generation, huh~?”
Saying that was really unfair, but they already knew that.
Thueban’s little ritual skewed it all, the Light erasing his legacy.
The hall might’ve seemed calmer, but now they were in more chaos than before.
Their minds now held thought after thought because, this—what in the actual fuck?!
Was all of this by Malik’s design? Did he know that Thueban was going to do this? Did he push him to do this? Really? Could Malik have planned all of that? Made him offer himself. Made him think it was his idea?! Did Malik write him? Gave him a script? Built him the stage. Light the torches. Held the curtain open. And watched Thueban study his own last act. A character he pushed into a climax? A climax that ultimately only aided Malik in achieving his ever-reinstated goal?
“…Who does that?”
“That’s the sickest thing I’ve ever seen.”
“That’s not war… That’s not revenge.”
“Control… that’s what this is.”
These revelations made them tremble more than the attack ever did.
Again, Malik made Thueban risk erasing his own legacy for a chance at survival while thinking that it was his own damned decision.
What in the seven Hells?
How? When did he do that?
Was it all too subtle for them to notice?
Or was it just a—
“No way that was a coincidence!”
“No fucking way.”
“But how? How did he know Thueban would do it?”
“I-I don’t know. Maybe he didn’t.”
“…No. He knew. He was sure.”
“Right, the Sultan doesn’t like to play chance.”
“You saw how he looked when Thueban bled into the stone.”
“Yeah… like he’d already seen it before.”
“…Maybe he had.”
“A Blink?”
“Could be. The Ten Commandment could’ve just… hidden it from us.”
“No, no, no, Holy Relics are neutral! They can’t make decisions like that!”
“I… I don’t know.”
They couldn’t say.
They really couldn’t.
All they could do was tremble.
For they had seen a perfect revenge.
They had seen what ending came from chasing power too hard.
“…I feel sick.”
“You’re not alone.”
Indeed, he was not alone.
Even Noor looked like she was going to throw up.
Or perhaps she was the one most affected by this.
Finally, finally, she had understood what he meant.
She had woken up from a dream.
A dream that she believed was real her whole life.
’…He caged us.’
She thought to herself.
’Every one of us.’
Her words was unusually soft… breaking.
’I mocked him… I mocked him. Laughed. Thought I was free…’
Her lips trembled.
’…But I’m still in it. Even now. Two hundred and twenty-seven years later. I’m still dancing in the palm of his hand.’
She looked at him, at the Sultan on the Golden Throne.
’I thought I got out.’
Malik didn’t look back… he never did.
’…Will I ever get out?’
“…”
He gave no answer.
’I… I hate you.’
Her trembling got worse.
’I hate you. I hate you. I hate you.’
Will she always be in this cage even hundreds of years after his death?
’I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you.’
Will she die in that cage?
’I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you.’
She feared him.
Oh, she feared Malik.
Feared him to the bone.
His bright golden eyes.
His everything.
And yet…
’I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you.’
She hated him more.
The world might survive Malik.
But nobody would ever escape him.
Not ever… for it was all by design.
“I HATE YOU.”
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