The wind continued its low howl, tugging at Soren's long white hair, making the purple-tipped strands flutter slowly against his face. The man—the one with the dark, soul-piercing eyes—watched the Emperor with an unreadable expression. For a long moment, the world seemed to hold its breath.
Then, the man snapped out of it. He smoothed his features, pulling on a practiced, charming smile.
"Oh, forgive my rudeness, Your Highness," he said, bowing his head with graceful precision. "My name is Shin. I am the new tutor for your people."
Soren didn't speak. He simply gave a small, weary wave of his hand—a gesture for the man to stand upright. Shin returned to his full height, his dark eyes searching Soren's cold blue ones for a flicker of something human.
"Take good care of the children," Soren said quietly. Without another word, he turned his back, his heavy robes sweeping the floor as he began to walk away.
A sudden, desperate impulse seized Shin. He felt as though he should stop him—reach out and grab Soren's hand before the Emperor could retreat back into his icy solitude. His fingers twitched, reaching out through the cold air.
"Teacher Shin! Master Shin!"
The high, excited voices of children shattered the silence. Shin snapped back to reality, his hand dropping to his side. He turned toward the source of the noise, seeing a group of palace children running toward him, their faces bright with energy.
Irritation flared in his chest—not at the children, but at himself. He ran his fingers through his hair, his heart racing. Why does my heart ache when I see him? he wondered, the question burning in his mind.
He forced a smile for the children and began walking in the opposite direction of the Emperor.
Further down the hall, Soren stopped. He turned his head just enough to watch the man go. The coldness was still there, but as he watched Shin being swarmed by the laughing children, he let the name roll off his tongue in a faint, ghost-like whisper.
"Shin."
A shadow of a memory flickered in his cold blue eyes, a brief moment of longing he usually kept buried deep.
He reminds me of you, Asher, Soren thought, before turning back to the shadows of the palace.