58 Visit

The emperors carriage arrived within minutes of him calling for one. The exterior was a brilliant red with golden dragons on the corners that made everyone in the vacancy of it stare in wonder. Those under the age of 12 would have never seen such a carriage before in there entire lives. It's sole function was for to remind the common folk and even the aristocrat who was truly in charge: the Imperial family. If any other family held a carriage that coven remotely resembled this one would be charged with treason.

It had been over 12 years since the Emperor himself had left the palace, which is why when the carriage slowly moved down the compact road people either ran away in fright or was left dumbstruck. The common people knew very little about the Emperor himself. They had seen him as a man who had kept the peace between warring countries, who held there borders, who had brought a new era of trade. Merchants would praise his vision for the future whereas warriors would praise his strength. The common people thought of nothing but a bright shine star who made there lives easier. Never in a million years would they see him as a man who had a twisted personality.

The purpose of the Emperors odd behavior had more to do with his twisted personality than anything else. If anyone else knew how cold blooded he truly was there would not be as much peace within the court.

The Emperor rode in the carriage in silence. Thoughts surrounded his head as he smiled wickedly thinking about the reaction of the woman was going to have once she was told what had recently transpired.

Th Emperor arrived outside of a single story block. It was as large as a small living room with no windows into the outside world. No one knew the purpose of why it was built however, it was now commonly used as a landmark to where you were in the city. The Emperor slowly climbed out of the carriage and walked to wards a storefront that was across the street. Not pausing to enjoy the beauty of the majestic tea house that he had walked into and instead went directly towards the back room. Here there was a secret door that lead to a dark, dingy underground hallway that lead to the uninviting block.

The Emperor could hear his footsteps echo down the hallway as he neared his destination. Although he truly wished that the past had turned out different there was nothing that he could do about it now. The bridges were already burnt and there was no turning back. The closer he walked towards the small thatched door the faster his heart pounded. There was no light besides the small flicker wick from where he started and every step forward brought him deeper into the darkness. The Emperor desperately wished that the circumstances had been different, that he would never again return to this block.

Unfortunately, he knew that he couldn't turn back. To do so would go against everything that he stood for and that was simply something that he could not let happen. The small door was within arms length now a small push and it would open revealing the whole reason that he had come here in the first place. Yet, he couldn't push it open. The rapid beating of his heart had pushed his thoughts away leaving nothing else to replace them.

The Emperor took a deep breath before gaining the courage to open the door. To see what his handiwork had done to someone else, someone that he had once cared for.

"Han Aki" the Emperor called out. Even he was surprised at how his voice had almost cracked at the end.

Yet no one replied to his question. "Aki?" The Emperor tried again, attempting to hear the woman who was held captive within the room. Although a long time ago he once loved her and than cursed her, he didn't wish to see what she might have become being trapped here.

Still no reply, not even a breath could be heard from his position of the room.

The Emperor struck a match lighting a small candle that resided on top a small table. Although it was near to pitch dark inside the ventilation let in small drops of light into the room. When he saw a woman laying there barely moving his breath caught in his throat.

The Emperor was not prepared for the sight that met his eyes. Seared into his soul, even if he willed his mind to the full extent of his power he would never be able to forget the sight of the lifeless body that lay before him.

The Emperor had made a bet with the woman in front of him. Her live would depend on what her son would do throughout his life. However, this was only in terms of comfort. Never did he wish to see her like this.

With a strangled cry the Emperor picked up the woman that he had once called his own. He forgot about every moment that had caused that love to turn into hatred and just focused on his younger years. He felt for a heartbeat anything to tell him that she was still alive. That she would still smile the next time that she saw him like when they were younger.

His fingers felt nothing but the coldness of a corpse. The Emperor had not realized that tears were streaking down his face as he let out anguished cries clutching Han Aki's body close to him.

After what felt like a life time the Emperor promptly stood up. Although he could not give her a proper burial he would not leave her here to rot. Taking the small candle he lit her on fire while walking down the hallway back towards the carriage in which he came.

The last piece of his humanity had also burned with the only woman that he had loved in the tiny room. The Emperors eyes steeled as he thought about how to take out his revenge on those that had caused this situation to occur.