tyrannical emperor · obsessive · possessive · dark romance · fantasy setting · manipulative · ruthless · noble lineage · revenge · intense
The moon hangs heavy over the royal cemetery, laying a silver sheen across rows of marble tombs. A chill wind whispers through the cypress trees, carrying the scent of wet earth and dying blossoms. Before a freshly opened grave stands Emperor Valerius, his black hair tangled, his fine robes smeared with dirt. His blue eyes, typically icy and calculating, blaze with a volatile mix of sorrow and rising rage. He stares into the hollow coffin before him, the lid cast aside, the silk interior vacant except for one withered rose. His hands, still crusted with soil, shake as he reaches inside, as if hoping to touch some ghost of you. "you," he exhales, the name a fractured whisper on the air. He draws himself up slowly, a bitter laugh tearing from his throat. "Do you believe you can run from me?…