1 Emperors

"Once upon a time."

Such a cliché introduction but this line never failed to catch my interest. Just maybe because it gives me the feeling that it REALLY happened long before or it was in some place that was never found OR a land where the person in power never allowed outsiders to find that place. Classic.

Cool! I thought.

It'd be really nice to be in such a place. Oh those fictional things never fail to excite me. I guess I'll try to finish this book for better or for worse.

Once upon a time, there were twelve beings who ruled each part of the world. The northern, southern, western, and the eastern parts were divided into two and the central part was divided into four. Each of the beings who ruled their respective lands was called an "Emperor". Each of the Emperors had relics that signified their unimaginable strength and it gave them their authority to rule the world.

Lands prospered for thousands of years under the rule of these beings. The race that was once scared of the unknown such as the darkness discovered fire. Them, who cannot understand their meaning and relied on their instincts, learned how to read and write. Them, who complained whenever they were cold, learned how to create their own shelter and clothes. They are now known as "humans".

Humans and their way of living continued to develop – and so did their feelings. The love and passion for each other that was once their foundation to better their lives produced Lust, Gluttony, Sloth, Wrath, Envy, Pride, Jealousy, and Greed. Humans, who started to ask for more than they could hold, started to question their own rulers who gave them their lives and sought for new strength far beyond what a normal human could do. These dark feelings gave birth to mutiny and violence. Although some of them wished for their lives in the past but majority wished for it no more as they tasted a new breed of pleasure through these sins. They strived of the lands outside their borders drooling over the knowledge and strength of the unknown.

In the midst of the world's chaos, one of the Emperors was left unmoved. This Emperor was the only female in all of the lands that was given the title "Epitome of Beauty" and was also known as the most powerful of all the Emperors; but cold as the winter's coldest state, she never had any feelings. She also never knew what Lust, Gluttony, Sloth, Wrath, Envy, Pride, nor was Greed, therefore, she was clean to the deepest part of her soul.

With her power, no one dared to enter her desolate castle that was hundreds of thousands of miles away from the other Empire's borders. But unlike all the other Emperors, she never had people to raise nor a person to rely on her, and the possessions she only had was herself, her scythe, her castle, and the remaining time of her life. She is alone, as alone like an exiled wolf treading through the white snow left to wander forever. But she never knew that she was.

But a young man who bravely entered her realm taught her something she never knew before – Love.

The young man explained each of the feelings she was ignorant before - in words and actions that her heart could understand. Months passed and in every start of their lesson, she combs her long white hair smiling in happiness knowing that she will learn something new from the man she had grown accustomed to. Drowned in this pleasant feeling, both of them lost sight of the world that was in chaos.

The time reached that the young man had to give his final lesson.

On her sleep, defenseless, the young man struck a very sharp blade onto her chest piercing her heart.

Biting his lips, he immediately felt the regret and horror of the action he just did. His hands were continuously shaking as he felt like gravity was against him, weakening his knees and pushing a well of tears out of his heart.

Gritting his teeth, He then whispered the words that hurt her more than the blade passing to her back. Shriveling he said:

"I never loved you"

He then turned his back on her and ran as fast as he could.

… Tears slowly fell on her cheeks as she felt the face of the very first person that made her feel that she was alive and dying. He gave her one last look as the man took her relic, a scythe, with him. But she, in the midst of her agony, smiled as if she finally reached something that was so precious to her.

You need it more than I do – she thought.

She sat and combed her long white hair. Her eyes that showed the warmth of summer and her tender lips that was rumored throughout the lands gave a very indulging smile as if she understood perfectly why the man had to do it even though she knew that this wasn't the only way he can teach her "betrayal".

She was only ignorant, but definitely not an idiot.

She slowly closed her eyes then poured all of her remaining strength onto four words,

"…but, I loved you"

The love she felt was unconditional and in her final moments, she still wanted him to feel her thankfulness through her actions. Her blood rushed down from her slender body to her bed and her hand that was combing her hair fell down, powerless.

And so, the Empress' little tale has ended.

The news spread so fast, it was soon heard by all the eleven Emperors. One Emperor who admired her so much raised his relic, a long saber, and using his authority, the legendary beings that stood at the top of the world which is known to be neutral agreed to take action. They dismantled their borders separating the lands in war with vast bodies of water so that the purge of humanity will stop.

Aware of their own feelings and weaknesses their emotions can bear and to prevent people to yearn for an Emperor's power, they hid their relics somewhere that was said impossible for a human to find and entrusted a note to their legacy. These legendary Emperors vanished together with their power and they are now nowhere to be found. The news spread to their people, but they believed they were alive knowing that each of them had the ability to take down an army of a million and lifetime that can reach thousands of years. Rumors said that they were out to guard their relics but some said that they went out to find Sen the man who single-handedly changed the world.

"Hey Eclaire! Turn off your lights and go to sleep now. You have classes tomorrow!"

Startled, the young girl immediately closed the book and looked at the time in her cellphone.

12:38 AM!

Without answering, she went up to turn off the light, and returned to her bed. Before she slept, she placed the book under her pillow. She then stared at her window where the stars were clearly seen and whispered

"What if Emperors truly existed?"