Lumeni: Ekpyrosis

Vol II: Downfall of Dynasties

TW: Violence/Gore/Insanity/Depression

Central Früstia Continent

Ruby Capital Castle

In Frost's Office...

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"So, now you better start talking, O' Great Emperor Frost of the Empire."

Those threats, the hatred in his eyes, the loss he has experienced; because of my blindness to my own nation! I should've seen the signs from the beginning; I'm such an idiot! Why didn't I think of actually incorporating territories in?! Why did I not account for my own hatred among the populace? Well, hell be with those thoughts, I only have one thought to truly think over, held by my throat. Why did I not account for me?!

I just silently close my eyes and swallow, letting my situation come to pass. "The world does not need a Ruby Emperor, Shade. Nor does the land of Lumeni deserve it. You are all above me, and I have seen that since the day I was born. Now you have a choice. You either kill me now, scorning yourself in Aranbe's name, or you hear out what I am going to say very carefully. Now..."

I slowly reach my arm up to the arm holding the knife at my throat.

"Will you put the knife down?"

Shade just looked at me in bewilderment, almost puzzled as far as I know, I cannot read faces for the life of me. He slowly lowered his arm from my throat as he kept his eyes on me for movements, setting the knife in a small scabbard. "You..."

Shit, what else does he want to hear from me?

"Don't make me regret not ending your life, but we all know the code no matter the nation. Aranbe's name is to never be called upon unless you're making a truthful deal. That is the notion I am allowing you to live on. So speak, before you make me regret it."

Finally! He remembered the code from before the Usurper's time. Now all I have to do is make sure I can live for the people to no longer despise me. I quickly walk over to the documents on my desk and lay them out, ushering Shade over uselessly; he was already behind me. "As you can see, the Empire's in a predicament. Too many cogs for one wheel to spin, wouldn't you say?"

"Indeed, I would have to agree with you, you overextended, causing your system to crumble as you betrayed your only allies in the sake of prosperity. Wouldn't you agree, emperor?" Shade said, with a small smirk hidden in him, knowing that he said all of what I hate and that he was right.

"Yes, I do agree, but as you see here," I quickly pull out the copy of the letter I prepared to go to Truder from the pile in front of us, "I believe that this can be solved in the meantime, would you care to repair our empire?"

Shade just looked at the paper, a frown forming on his face. "Our empire? I am getting you out of this to show you that the world can live without you. Because at least the other freak invading us isn't some idiot. They are scary by their intuition alone, and I cannot allow that to live by my borders."

Wait, he said something weird to me just now. "Your borders?"

Shade then looked at me and began to laugh to himself, what the hell is he on? "Your borders?! You expect to keep all the land that you have stolen after this?! No! My nation is returning, with lands from Mantizea as well! Since you forced their Empress to flee from your attempted genocide!"

Wait? Genocide? Did I actually- NO! There is no way I would genocide people for myself...right? Did I do it for the people, power, security? Why would I have decided to kill people?! This is too far even for me! "Shade! I never explicitly ordered a genocide, I only invaded their capital to hold the lands!"