[Theon's Pov]
And that night… The boy I met when I was fifteen—the one who never smiled, who bled in silence—
He died.
And in his place, an emperor was born.
I thought… now he would smile. That vengeance, power, and justice carved from the bones of his abusers would finally set him free.
But revenge, it turns out, doesn't heal. It only changes the shape of the wound.
After Cassius became emperor, he ruled with a sword sharper than any of his predecessors. One mistake—just one—and heads would roll. Ministers whispered behind locked doors, terrified of breathing wrong in his presence. Even nobles who once kissed his boots trembled under his gaze.
He governed with terrifying precision. The empire flourished. Corruption died screaming. Borders stabilized. Trade routes blossomed like spring after decades of frost. The empire ran smoothly, and he managed it well—except…
