Capital Durban, Skadi Empire.
"Young Emperor, urgent news! Earth's forces are sweeping through their neighbors like wildfire. The front lines crumble, and our army is still two days away from reaching the border," the eunuch's voice quavered as he prostrated before the throne.
Silence fell upon the grand hall.
The Little Emperor's eyes opened slowly — eyes that had seen the birth and death of stars.
Bang!
The throne's armrest shattered into powder beneath his hand, fragments scattering across the marble floor.
"A mortal dares challenge the mandate of my rule?" His voice rolled like distant thunder, cold and absolute. "I have ruled across epochs, watched civilizations rise and vanish into dust, and yet this insect believes himself worthy of my gaze."
The eunuch pressed his forehead to the ground, heart pounding as the oppressive weight of the emperor's presence seemed to smother the air itself.
