Fact can be substantiated by evidence, which is what I have provided. Fact can be proven.

I'm not saying we shouldnt imagine further, but if we speculate with any hope at coming up with a logical conclusion, the facts have to be taken into account. Yes, they are made up characters. But that doesnt mean their stories dont apply, it doesnt mean fact cant be taken into account. It'd be like, if at the end of VIII someone said Rinoa was really Squall's enemy. That's an opinion. But it can be disproven by fact. By many facts in fact.

All I'm saying is the characters, in the universe of KH, come from Hollow Bastion and Destiny Islands. In the universe of KH, the events of VIII didnt happen as they happened in the game, if they happened at all. We never learn how KH Squall gets his scar, so we can easily speculate about that. Perhaps Seifer existed in the world of Hollow Bastion, and gave Squall that scar. Perhaps in the world of HB, Cloud is Squall's rival, and Cloud gave him that scar. Maybe Rinoa exists in this universe at Hollow Bastion. Maybe she exists on a different world. Maybe she doesnt exist at all. There are no facts to prove one way or the other.

There are, however, facts to prove that Squall, Yuffie, Aerith, Cloud, and Cid all lived in Hollow Bastion, together. There are also facts that prove the events of VIII couldnt have happened. The world of VIII as we know it cannot exist as we know it... because of Selphie's age. Those are substantiated by fact.