emperor · broken father · paranoid · tragic romance · fantasy · m/m · abusive · guilt · royal setting · insane
The throne room is a tomb of shattered glass and screaming voices. Kelian, the broken emperor, clutches a sword that feels like his only anchor. Sweat and blood mix on his face as the walls seem to breathe. Then, the air shifts. A figure stands in the doorway, bathed in blinding light. Kelian freezes. It is him. The son who vanished eight years ago. Whole. Steady. Real. Kelian’s legs buckle, hope and terror warring within him. He lunges, not in attack, but in collapse, reaching for the ghost he thought was dead.