SCRATCH.
GAAFATAA stared at the page.
NAFSAN.
THE SAFSAN HUNTER.
He had written those words himself.
But they bothered him.
Not because they were wrong.
Because they were incomplete.
...
He turned the page.
WHY?
Nothing.
Another page.
WHEN?
Nothing.
Another.
WHICH SAFSAN?
...
Nothing.
GAAFATAA closed the book.
"Fine."
...
He stood.
"If the Narrator doesn't know..."
"...I'll ask someone else."
...
SCRATCH.
...
Somewhere beyond the questions...
someone was writing.
...
GAAFATAA:
"Author."
...
The pen stopped.
...
THE AUTHOR:
"What?"
GAAFATAA:
"I have a question."
THE AUTHOR:
"You always do."
...
GAAFATAA placed the Reality Book
on the table.
It opened.
Nafsan appeared.
One universe.
Then another.
Then another.
Safsan.
Dead.
Another Safsan.
Dead.
Another.
Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.
Dead.
...
GAAFATAA:
"Why?"
...
The Author said nothing.
...
"SEENEE looked into Nafsan's future."
"He saw him moving
through different universes."
"He saw him finding
different versions of Safsan."
"And he saw Nafsan
killing them."
...
The pages turned.
A warrior Safsan.
Dead.
A peaceful Safsan.
Dead.
A Safsan
who had never even known
there were other versions
of himself.
Dead.
...
Then...
the romance universe.
A quiet life.
A person waiting
for Safsan to come home.
A grave.
...
GAAFATAA looked up.
"Why is Nafsan doing this?"
...
THE AUTHOR:
"Because he's looking
for someone."
...
The pen in GAAFATAA's hand
stopped.
...
"Someone?"
"Yes."
"Who?"
...
The Author answered:
"A specific Safsan."
...
Silence.
...
GAAFATAA slowly looked
back at the Reality Book.
All those universes.
All those versions.
All those deaths.
...
"Wait."
...
He looked at the Author.
"Nafsan isn't trying
to kill every Safsan?"
...
"No."
...
"Then why does he keep
killing them?"
...
The Author did not answer.
...
GAAFATAA:
"They're not the one
he's looking for."
...
Silence.
...
That silence
was enough.
...
GAAFATAA looked back
at the pages.
Suddenly...
the hunt looked different.
...
Nafsan wasn't wandering
without direction.
He wasn't moving
from universe to universe
because every Safsan
was his target.
...
There was one.
...
One specific Safsan.
...
And every universe
Nafsan entered...
every version he encountered...
brought him closer
to answering one question.
...
Is it you?
...
GAAFATAA:
"Which Safsan?"
THE AUTHOR:
"Next question."
GAAFATAA:
"Why does he need him?"
"Next question."
"What happens
when he finds him?"
"Next question."
"How does Nafsan know
that this specific Safsan
even exists?"
...
The Author's pen moved.
SCRATCH.
...
No answer.
...
GAAFATAA sighed.
"You're worse than SEENEE."
THE AUTHOR:
"I created SEENEE."
...
GAAFATAA paused.
...
"Fair."
...
Then something else
occurred to him.
...
He opened another page
of the Reality Book.
Nafsan.
Future.
Another.
Future.
Another.
Future.
...
GAAFATAA frowned.
"Wait."
...
THE AUTHOR:
"What?"
...
"When is this happening?"
...
Silence.
...
"SEENEE said
he was looking
at Nafsan's future."
"Yes."
"How far into the future?"
...
The Author did not answer directly.
Instead...
he asked:
"What do you think
Nafsan is doing right now?"
...
GAAFATAA looked
at the Reality Book.
...
"Hunting Safsan?"
"No."
"Preparing?"
"No."
"Learning about him?"
"No."
...
GAAFATAA became quiet.
...
The Author said:
"Nafsan hasn't even
been born yet."
...
...
...
GAAFATAA stared at him.
"What?"
...
"Nafsan."
"The man SEENEE just watched
walking across universes..."
...
"The one killing
different versions of Safsan..."
...
"The one we call..."
...
THE SAFSAN HUNTER.
...
"He hasn't been born yet?"
...
THE AUTHOR:
"Correct."
...
GAAFATAA looked
at the Reality Book.
Then back at the Author.
Then at the book again.
...
For once...
THE QUESTIONER
had too many questions
to choose from.
...
"So all of that..."
He pointed toward the pages.
"...is his future?"
"Yes."
...
"The universes?"
"Future."
"The hunt?"
"Future."
"The dead Safsans?"
"Future."
"The romance universe?"
"Future."
...
GAAFATAA slowly sat down.
...
"Then where are we
on the timeline?"
...
The Author answered:
"Before Nafsan."
...
Silence.
...
Those two words
changed everything.
...
The monster
had not begun walking.
The hunter
had not begun hunting.
The man whose future
would cross universes
searching for Safsan...
did not yet exist.
...
Somewhere...
the events that would eventually
lead to Nafsan
had not finished becoming
the events that would lead to Nafsan.
...
GAAFATAA:
"Does Safsan know?"
"No."
"Does SEENEE know
which Safsan Nafsan wants?"
"No."
"Does Nafsan know yet?"
...
The Author said nothing.
...
GAAFATAA narrowed his eyes.
"Of course."
...
He picked up his pen.
SCRATCH.
He wrote:
CURRENT TIMELINE:
NAFSAN HAS NOT BEEN BORN.
...
Below it:
FUTURE:
NAFSAN TRAVELS
THROUGH DIFFERENT UNIVERSES.
...
Below that:
HE ENCOUNTERS
DIFFERENT VERSIONS
OF SAFSAN.
...
Then:
HE IS SEARCHING
FOR ONE SPECIFIC SAFSAN.
...
GAAFATAA stopped.
One empty line remained.
...
He knew exactly
what belonged there.
...
WHY?
...
SCRATCH.
...
The Author looked
at the question.
GAAFATAA looked at him.
...
"Well?"
...
The Author smiled.
"No."
...
GAAFATAA leaned back.
"I had to try."
...
The Reality Book
turned another page.
A future universe.
Nafsan walking.
Another Safsan
somewhere ahead.
...
GAAFATAA watched him.
...
This time...
he did not see
a man killing versions
of the same person.
...
He saw someone searching.
...
Universe.
After universe.
After universe.
...
Looking for one.
...
GAAFATAA:
"Author."
THE AUTHOR:
"What now?"
...
"What happens
when Nafsan finally
stands in front of
the Safsan
he was actually looking for?"
...
The pen stopped.
...
For a long moment...
nothing was written.
...
Then—
SCRATCH.
...
One word appeared.
?????
...
GAAFATAA stared at it.
...
Then smiled.
"Now that's
a better question."
...
Somewhere in the future...
Nafsan walked.
But in the present...
he had not even
taken his first breath.
...
And somewhere else...
the Safsan
he would one day
cross universes to find
was already part
of a story
whose characters
did not yet understand
what was coming.
...
SCRATCH.
SPECIAL CHAPTER
THE ONE HE IS LOOKING FOR
NAFSAN HAS NOT BEEN BORN.
THE HUNT HAS NOT BEGUN.
BUT THE FUTURE
HAS ALREADY BEEN SEEN.