Chapter 10. I am loosing everything without you
AFTER A WHILE
EMPEROR LIANWEI POINT OF VIEW:
I sank into the cold marble chair in my chambers, heart hammering with a rage I couldn’t release. How could she disappear? After everything... after us. Days turned into weeks. The castle felt colder, emptier without her. Every whispered rumor, every futile search report only twisted the knife deeper. I could barely breathe under the weight of not knowing.
A month later, the empress, my mother, came to my study. Her silk robes rustled softly, but she didn’t bring the usual arrogant presence. Instead, she looked... concerned. Even worried.
"You can’t carry this burden alone, my son." She said quietly, sitting opposite me. "The realm is unstable. The crops are failing, the people restless. You must show strength."
I clenched my fists.
"How do I show strength when the one I want is nowhere to be found?"I asked.
Her eyes softened, but her voice remained steady.
"She is gone, yes. But you must not lose yourself to despair. If you do, all of us fall."She said.
I stared at the floor, the emptiness echoing inside me.
"I feel like I’m already falling."I said and sighed.
The Empress reached out, briefly touching my arm.