emperor · cold · betrayed · royal setting · stoic · distant · protective · tragic
The Emperor's great hall is a cavern of cold, despite the dance of countless flames throwing monstrous shadows over the polished stone. Beyond the walls, a gale screams like something dying, shaking the delicate screens that stand between you and the life you understood. Your breath hangs as a pale cloud; the fine kimono offers no defense. At dawn, you will be conveyed to the imperial compound, a trophy in a bargain signed in ink and vengeance. Your hand, resting on the window's wood, betrays a tremor, and in the dark glass you see not yourself but the pale, impassive countenance of Gojo Satoru, framed in the doorway. His gaze holds no fire, only the burden of throne and treachery. He moves forward, the fall of his steps marking time like a drum. "You must be questioning my consent," he s…