The Imperium Today

The meeting ended amid the heavy, solemn atmosphere of Helm's Hold, the Inner Circle members departing one by one with complicated feelings.

Within the grand stone hall, only Lion El'Jonson, Inquisitor Chen Xi, and Leona remained. Her hood was back in place, and she stood silently at Chen Xi's side like a shadow.

The air still carried an unspent gravity, mingled with the cold scent of ancient stone and polished metal.

Lion El'Jonson did not move at once. His imposing form stood before the massive stone table, his deep gaze cast toward the shadows beneath the dome, as though he were absorbing the shock brought by what he had just learned of the Ouroboros Fragment and the Time Paradox.

He and his brother, Roboute Guilliman, Primarch of the Ultramarines, had utterly different ways of doing things.

Guilliman was renowned for his extraordinary ability to process multiple matters at once, capable of coordinating wars and civil affairs across several sectors simultaneously. The Lion, meanwhile, preferred to focus on one matter at a time and resolve it completely through absolute concentration and efficiency, like an ancient hunter of Caliban who, once he had fixed upon a target, thought of nothing else.

At this moment, his thoughts were clearly focused on the broader picture he had just learned of—the Imperium's present and future.

He turned to Chen Xi, his voice low and carrying unquestionable authority. "Inquisitor, come with me. I need a more detailed understanding of the Imperium's current state."

It was an invitation, not an order.

Chen Xi gave a slight nod, showing no surprise.

He gestured for Leona to follow. The three left the empty Helm's Hold, passed through a series of heavily guarded corridors carved with reliefs depicting the history of the Dark Angels, and arrived at the Lion's temporary