***
{Outside The Projection}
The moment Scheherazade and Malik spoke Noor's truth aloud, the world felt a tad heavier.
People stood rooted where they were, eyes fixed on the shifting light of the projection. A secret so massive landing casually like that did their head in, almost making them go delirious.
Even before Malik's and Sinbad's suspicion, they'd always wondered about Noor.
Her rise was way too quick; her rivals seemed to stumble without her lifting a finger, while she surpassed them all by pulling in favors with incredibly rare items and Holy Relics unseen for centuries.
Now it all made sense.
She, who was not of Fam Iblis, held a soul capable of being Blessed before acquiring any Godhood. A Blessing that somehow allowed her to make something tangible out of nothing but Aether, shaping the world before even learning its shape, while also increasing her talent to insane heights.
She was a cheat.
Most of those in the hall had thought this one thing.
