Consciousness rose as if from the deep sea, suddenly returning to their heavy bodies.
Guilliman and the others abruptly opened their eyes. Before them was still the cold, oppressive dome of the Golden Throne hall, where the lingering psychic fluctuations formed a piercing contrast with the warmth and serenity of the mental realm.
The Emperor's magnificent yet decayed body still burned upon the throne, silently reminding them of reality's cruelty and the burden they bore.
After a brief silence, Guilliman took a deep breath and suppressed the stormy waves stirred within him by his father's earth-shattering decision.
He turned to Kieran's group, his voice regaining the steady composure of a regent. "Headmaster Kieran, please come with me. Queen Liang Bing's laboratory is on the other side."
The group silently passed through the deep, heavily guarded corridors of the Imperial Palace.
Heavy footsteps echoed through the empty passageways. The atmosphere remained shrouded in the weight of the throne hall and the Emperor's shocking decision.
When they arrived before the massive bulkhead marked "Planetary Ecology Reshaping Test Facility," an irritable female voice pierced through the thick alloy doors:
"Fuck! The energy field collapsed again! What kind of shithole planet is this?! Are its physical constants made of a sieve?!"
"Calibrate the parameters! Group Seven! Don't tell me you can't even tune basic resonance!"
"...Trash! All of you are trash! I want a cycle! A cycle, understand?! Where's the water? Where's the atmospheric stability? What the hell is this?!"
The bulkhead slid open soundlessly, revealing the scene inside.
It was an enormous laboratory, comparable in size to a small hive city plaza.
The dome was covered by a simulated sky projection, though it now flickered with chaotic streams of energy.
At the center was an immensely complex giant holographic display covering the entire