Everything Is Under Control

In the end, Khayon's suppressed fury was unleashed entirely upon Taremarus. Psychic lightning exquisitely destroyed and reassembled Taremarus's nerves, making him taste pain he had not felt in a very long time.

"Fuck, this feels good!" Taremarus gritted his teeth and held on. Slaanesh's corruption did not allow him to comfortably endure such blows. This was what Khayon had mentioned—humans had to overcome more hardships.

++Stop fighting.++

Abaddon's voice came through the vox. He was the fundamental reason Khayon and Taremarus did not come into conflict. Without his restraint, one of their heads would have long since been hung in the other's trophy room.

Khayon withdrew his power. Taremarus lay sprawled on the ground like a dead dog for quite a while. This miserable state only made Taremarus let out a strange, coughing laugh.

Much of his anger had dissipated. The pain in his head rapidly faded, and the visions before his eyes gradually vanished, leaving only the faint echo of Nefertari's scream.

Am I about to go mad?

Khayon thought calmly. Perhaps Nefertari had been right. Perhaps he truly would walk toward death amid loneliness and meaninglessness.

Khayon left in silence and headed for his ship. Everything aboard looked newly refurbished. Even the lifts no longer made those dreadful creaking noises, and the lower decks were still clean. The plants grown from blood and filth had not yet appeared.

"Head for Terra. Face the punishment that belongs to me," Khayon told himself. Then he ordered his ship to depart the Black Legion's base and vanish into the vast ocean of the Warp.

Carlos watched Khayon depart and sent a message to Tzeentch.

[Everything is proceeding according to your plan, Changer of Ways.]

In a silent, ownerless place, three daemonic vessels bearing the wills of their masters arrived. The Astronomican