"What do you mean?" the Emperor stammered, his eyes wide with confusion.
"You haven't figured it out yet?" Bernice chuckled, a cold glint in her eyes. "I'm here to show you the truth about your so-called god."
She rubbed the metal object against the ground, sparks flying. "You cower behind your hollow faith, believing yourself invincible in this gilded cage. But where is your god now? Can he hear your pleas? Can he save you from the reckoning you deserve?"
His bravado crumbled, replaced by a tremor of fear. "My god is with me. He will not abandon me."
Bernice raised the object, its sharp edge inches from his throat. "Then let's see your faith in action," she said, her voice a low growl.
His breaths grew shallow, his eyes pleading. But before she could press further, a voice echoed from behind her, chilling the air.
"Everything is going perfectly, Bernice. This is what he deserves! Finish him off!"
