The Emperor stood frozen, his heart numb to the destruction around him. He couldn't even feel the sting of his words as they left his lips in venom. "Shut up," he growled, his voice colder than the freezing air that surrounded them. "If you want to run, then run. Why would I ever come with someone as pathetic as you? Leave me alone."
With a rough shake of his leg, he kicked the Empress away, her frail body stumbling backward. Yet despite the rejection, she pulled herself up, trembling but determined, and clutched at his feet once more. "Please... I'm begging you," she whispered, her voice breaking like a fragile thread on the edge of despair. "This is the last time... I swear, I'll never beg you again. Just this once... leave with me."
