Chapter 902 - 901: Awakening the Memories Sealed by the Emperor Will Not Be a Pleasant Experience

Kalium Gate system, aboard the Shadow's Sovereignty, in the Primarch's office.

Nareth leaned back against his throne, watching as the Third Chapter Master, Bukayo Arshavin, entered the office with fifteen "Soul Assurers," including 1st Company Captain Oleksandr, 2nd Company Captain Mikhaeli, and 3rd Company Captain Gregori.

The Shadows of Order in their Cataphractii-pattern Terminator armor nearly filled the spacious Primarch's office.

"My Lord." Bukayo was the first to remove his helmet, followed by Oleksandr.

Nareth nodded. "Your task is to accompany the Counts of the Fifth Chapter and prepare for your journey into the Warp."

"You will gain new power on this journey, and ascend to the rank of Count of the Court."

The advancement ritual for Sequence 5 "Spirit Warlock" of the Darkness Pathway requires finding a way to enter the Warp in physical form, rather than as a spirit, and merging with the key information of your own Warp-reflection, then consuming the potion.

The "Travelers" of the Door Pathway have marked four special coordinates in the Warp, including the Khrave origin domain and the Wyvachs's home, both special pocket dimensions, but neither meets the requirements for a "Spirit Warlock."

The "Soul Assurer" need to enter the Sea of Souls and merge with their reflections. The "Travelers" will guide them on the journey.

Bukayo's obsidian eyes gleamed at the news.

Though he was a Chapter Lord, his position in the Inner Court had stagnated, remaining at the rank of Viscount for a long time.

Though the Black Emperor's favor had not diminished, other Chapter Master had become Counts of the Court, and even within his own Chapter, the number of Inner Circle members was growing.

Now, at last, his opportunity had come to receive the Black Emperor's grace once more.

After Bukayo and the others left, Nareth rose from his throne. Out of sight, he stepped into the Kingdom of Disorder.

Seated upon the throne in the fourth layer, he extended his spirituality, touching Zahariel's glowing orb.

Zahariel's advancement to "Spirit Warlock" would be much easier.

As a gene-son of Lion El'Jonson, Zahariel was the best inheritor of his spatial gifts among all the Dark Angels.

'Hmm... though the Lion's grasp of spatial manipulation is still quite crude. Zahariel's Fear Sight is a more refined operation.'

Nareth recalled that the Lion had found his Warp-image, a forest, in the Black Forests of Caliban.

But unlike Magnus, who frequently conversed with the Emperor in the Warp and had Tzeentch weaving fate-threads to prepare knowledge for him, the Lion's spatial abilities were passive, unlike Sanguinius's and Konrad Curze's prophetic gifts.

Though, in his memory, after his mind was invaded by the Khrave Progenitor, he had used his spatial perception to locate the xenos' homeworld. But it was only after his resurrection ten thousand years later that he gradually mastered abilities like teleportation.

Nareth gathered his thoughts and extended his spirituality, touching Zahariel's orb.

He saw Zahariel standing alone in the wilderness, the dark forest trees rustling in the wind.

Zahariel stared at the blood-soaked bodies on the tower floor.

Nareth projected a thought into the dark orb: "Find another place. Set up the Euclidean Runes."

Zahariel's body trembled as black mist rose in his mind.

Deep within the mist, a majestic figure sat upon a throne.

Zahariel clasped his hands in an inverted hold, then moved quickly, finding a semi-intact tower.

He infused his force staff with spirituality, rapidly tapping out geometric patterns on the floor.

Then, the black mist swallowed Zahariel.

He tensed, then relaxed as he found himself in the familiar mystic realm.

He looked with awe at the majestic figure on the throne and knelt. "My Lord."

"The one you found at Stoneledge was a corpse?" Nareth asked, frowning slightly.

After Seraphax had stolen the Chaos scriptures belonging to the Knights of Sirius, Zahariel and the others had continuously searched for his whereabouts, including the fallen order.

Nareth recalled there were five survivors of the Knights of Sirius. Three of them had been left dead in the wilderness, their souls unreachable. A fourth was elusive.

He had shared the information about all five with Luther, Urian Vendraig, and Zahariel.

Urian had soon found the three corpses in his jurisdiction, their spirits already dissipated.

Nareth knew they were Chaos cultists; even in death, their souls would have been claimed by the Four. No means of communication could reach them.

He hadn't held out much hope for them, but had hoped to get information from the fourth.

"My Lord, as You said. I found him in a collapsed tower near Stoneledge."

Nareth frowned. He remembered that Saoul Deyvil, who had helped raise the Lion alongside Luther, had found a live survivor at Stoneledge, only to see him jump into the sea to escape.

He had hoped that Zahariel, the "Soul Asurer," could soothe the survivor and use his "Nightmare" abilities to uncover hidden secrets.

'Caliban... change…'

'Could this be Tzeentch's doing again?'

"My Lord, I have failed in Your task. Please punish me."

"It is not your fault," Nareth said, his voice deep.

He moved his mind. In the first layer, the Jokaero began concocting the "Spirit Warlock" potion, using the Spirit Thorn-Tree and other ingredients.

"I will grant you new power. Use it to continue the investigation."

'I failed my Lord's divine task, yet He still grants me new power.'

'I advised Luther to rescue the Lion, only to be exiled back to Caliban for keeping the secret of his then-attendant. Lion, you once told me that on Caliban, only we were special, both having slain the Great Beasts. Yet you exiled me without mercy.'

A swirl of emotions, the Lion's cold gaze in council, the Black Emperor's patient encouragement, crossed Zahariel's mind.

"My Lord, I thank You for Your mercy. I will use Your gift well."

"You must enter the Warp and merge with your reflection," Nareth said, his gaze deep, thinking of the pain Zahariel would feel when his memories were unlocked.

"When you gain your power, you will also awaken the memories sealed by the Emperor and Ishmael."

"It will not be a pleasant experience."

He turned his wrist, and a vial of pitch-black potion appeared in his palm.

With a thought, it flew towards Zahariel.

'Sealed memories... by the Emperor?'

A blurry, golden light flickered in Zahariel's mind: golden light streaming from the Emperor's eyes.

He had examined his own psychic gifts.

What else had he done?

What was it?

Zahariel frowned, accepting the potion.

He looked up at the throne. "Whatever happened in the past, I can face it."

"My faith in You will not waver, even if Caliban falls, even if the Lion dies."

Nareth nodded. He moved his mind, returning Zahariel to Stoneledge on Caliban.

....

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