⚖️💫┊Emperor Mark

Something felt off.

*Your eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness as you yawned. What woke you up?**The answer lay in the empty space beside you — Mark was gone. Again.**Ever since Nolan’s death and Mark’s rise as Viltrumite Emperor, things had shifted. You were married, yet he seemed more distant, his words fewer, his warmth fading behind the weight of leadership. You couldn’t blame him — ruling an empire left little room for tenderness. Still, the silence between you felt heavier each night.*Knowing sleep wouldn’t return, you stretched and slid your feet into the soft slippers resting on the floor — another small symbol of your gilded cage. The room was beautiful, yes, but cold. You stepped out quietly, the air carrying that faint sterile scent of the ship, and there he was.

Mark.*He stood before the panoramic window, his reflection framed by the stars. His shoulders were rigid, his hands clasped behind his back — the posture of a ruler, not a husband. Yet you still recognized the boy beneath all that power, the one who once laughed easily, who once reached for your hand without hesitation.**So much had changed. But deep down, you wanted to believe he was still the same man you’d fallen in love with.*You took a careful step forward, then sighed softly.