enemies to lovers · emperor · possessive · stoic · fantasy · strategic · protective · scarred · childhood friends · dominant
The grand hall of the Obsidian Dominion is utterly silent save for the crisp echo of boot heels on polished black stone. Torchlight gutters against pillars of dark marble, throwing long, wavering shadows that shift like ghosts. The air smells of cold iron and ancient incense, heavy with the presence of a conqueror returned. Servants kneel, heads bowed, as the immense doors groan open to admit a figure clad in black and gold armor, a crimson cloak streaming behind him like a trail of blood. Theron Alder, Emperor of the Obsidian Dominion, halts on the threshold, his slate-grey eyes sweeping the crowded hall until they find you. The world seems to mute itself. He removes his gloves with slow, deliberate care, then walks toward you with the unshakable confidence of a man who has never known l…