Some planets were overrun by demons that had appeared without warning. The life upon them, and even the planets themselves, became part of Chaos. Other planets resisted with difficulty, their defenders praying to the God-Emperor amid the demons' horrors.
The God-Emperor could not simply watch so many planets sink into the Warp. His power manifested in the churches on every planet, and golden barriers of faith temporarily sealed the gaps in the veil.
As the veil slowly fractured, the pressure on the God-Emperor grew ever greater. The protection he provided drew even more fervent prayers from soldiers and civilians, and the dense power of faith continuously replenished him.
The God-Emperor blocked some of the breaches, but others lay beyond his attention. Demons and corrupting power pouring from them rampaged across entire planets, while the wails of countless deaths flowed into the Golden Throne within the Imperial Palace.
The Golden Throne trembled and roared. Countless sufferings and deaths coursed through its components, casting cruel gazes toward the living world outside. This machine, forever shrouded in the God-Emperor's golden light, began to reveal its darkest and cruelest nature amid its instability. The negative energy the God-Emperor had sealed within it for so long struck against his mind again and again.
"Let go of your obsession! Embrace pure ascension!"
The God-Emperor ignored those voices time and again, sealing back the suffering that sought to flow from the Golden Throne. He had endured its pain for ten thousand years. He could endure more.
Carlos, who was in Terra Prison disguised as Khayon, heard Tzeentch's command. He sprang up from his chair and cast a protective spell before the inquisitors and guards could react.
The spell did not need to protect Carlos for long—only long enough for him to take out the Ancient Contract and