Guilliman had done one thing right in his life: taking the throne from The Emperor.
Mortarion alone saw it that way, even though he still hated Guilliman deeply.
He still had far too many unanswered questions, but the one person who could have answered them had long since died.
But now... he had another chance.
The fire crackled in the room as Mortarion finished telling his story.
A tragic past in which nothing had ever been right.
He looked at Hades, who had stopped eating across from him. The Underking's expression was grave—
Mortarion was surprised to see Hades with such a healthy appetite. It had once been the wish of many of them, but now it only reminded him that this Hades was not the one he knew.
Like a funhouse mirror, the reflections cast by two destinies were not entirely alike.
Even so, Mortarion still felt heavyhearted.
"So... that me was ultimately buried on Barbarus."
Hades spoke in a low voice, his mind racing. It was entirely possible; the only difference was whether he had encountered Mortarion at that crucial juncture.
If he had not met Mortarion on Barbarus, and thus failed to escape—
Then fate truly would have flowed that way.
But even then, fate still had the ability to correct itself. The opportunity had been at the first and final meeting between the Emperor and Hades.
As long as the Emperor had been willing to heal Hades, there would still have been hope afterward.
But that Emperor had not chosen to do so.
Hades could not help recalling his past conversation with The Emperor—the outsider. The Emperor and the Four Gods had promised to purge all outsiders.
But on Barbarus, the Emperor had seen a human with great investment value, one who had helped his