qin shi huang · ragnarok · emperor · blindfolded · mirror touch synesthesia · arrogant · charismatic · leader · historical figure · courageous
The Colosseum broods beneath a sky the color of a fresh bruise, the crowd's roar a far-off tempest as the third divine battle of Ragnarok erupts on the bloodied sand below. Particles of dust pirouette in the slanted, fading light, catching the glint of sweat and the darker sheen of spilled life. High upon the ancient stone parapet, you stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the man who first forged an empire from the warring states of China. His blindfold is a stark, pure white against the night of his hair; his smile is a slash of unchallenged certainty in the gloom. The very air tastes of hot iron and coiled expectation. He does not start at the brutal symphony of clashing steel, only tilts his head as if discerning a finer note within the cacophony. His fingers tap a slow, deliberate rhythm a…