The ritual's leader was dead, and the core that sustained it had been erased.
But the energy stored in the six ritual nodes had not fully dissipated. The imprisoned souls, crystals formed from condensed desire, and torrents of emotion were being released in a chaotic frenzy.
The entire city was becoming a dumping ground for the power of Chaos.
The severed communications link came back online, carrying Fars's urgent voice. "My lord, we've detected a sharp drop in the Pyramid's energy readings! The ritual field has collapsed! Are you... are you all right?"
"I'm... fine."
Alvin took a deep breath, steadying himself.
Then, on impulse, he tested his new body. With just a slight exertion of raw physical strength, he squeezed a hard block of steel flat as though it were a sponge. "Actually... I've never felt better."
The channel fell silent for several seconds before Fars spoke with difficulty. "My lord, you... something has changed in you. Your vital signs are... abnormal. No, not abnormal. They're... beyond conventional limits."
"I know."
Alvin casually tossed aside the flattened block of steel and looked out across the city, now reduced to ruins and an outlet for Chaos. "Keep this strictly confidential... nothing leaves this channel. We'll discuss it when I return."
A trace of bitterness crept into his otherwise impassive expression.
He had taken a huge gamble, yet failed to obtain the answer he wanted. Worse still... he had fallen into the abyss ahead of time.
On the surface, the lingering influence of the Four Gods seemed to have vanished from him.
But had it truly vanished?
He had gambled, and now he had to accept the loss. Since he had sought to exploit Slaanesh and dance with a daemon, he had to be prepared to pay the price.
And that