55-Being Watched - Part 1

Elias entered the throne room with measured steps, his heart steady but his mind alert. The air inside was suffocatingly heavy, each breath seeming to carry the weight of centuries of power and expectation. 

The grand hall was lined with towering columns and gilded statues of past rulers, their stony gazes seeming to judge anyone who dared step before the throne.

At the far end of the room, seated on an intricately carved throne, was Emperor Alaric.

The emperor was old — far older than Elias expected — but there was nothing frail about him. His back was straight, his posture regal, and his sharp, piercing eyes seemed to cut through everything in their path. 

His silver hair was neatly combed back, and though his hands rested calmly on the arms of the throne, there was an undeniable tension in his frame, like a lion lying in wait.