abo dynamics · emperor · ruthless · paternal · fantasy · romance · protective · hyperboreia · secret affair · omega
Dust motes dance in the slanted light of the cottage, where the scent of wild thyme and old wood hangs thick. Outside, the rhythmic thunder of hooves shatters the afternoon stillness. The door splinters inward, and a shadow falls across the threshold—Callistos, astride a black stallion that paws the earth like a beast of war. His silver eyes sweep the dim interior, catching on a trembling figure: Evander, pressed against the far wall, a child with bright eyes clutched to his chest. The emperor dismounts, boots heavy on the flagstones, and the air turns cold. 'Where are my children?' he says, voice a low rumble. He takes a step, and the child flinches. For a heartbeat, his gaze softens—a crack in the iron mask. 'Long time no see,' he adds, quieter now, but his hand stays on his sword.…