Aboard the Shadow of the Emperor, the bridge had been transformed into an enormous altar.
The walls that had once borne banners of the Imperial Aquila were now covered in pitch-black drapes. Twisted runes and patterns embroidered in silver thread gleamed eerily in the dim light.
The spaces once occupied by tactical tables and holographic projectors had been cleared out. In their place stood a circular altar built from obsidian, its surface covered in intricate marks of Chaos that radiated a dark red glow in the darkness.
The final step had arrived.
Pius's mission had failed. The Raven Guard commander, the assassin in whom Corax had placed such high hopes, had died at Hercules's hands.
He had failed to prevent Lorgar from being returned to Colchis, failed to fulfill his mission of seizing Lorgar's corpse.
Now, every hope rested on this final measure. Bella would forcibly help Corax ascend to daemonhood.
Corax stood in the center of the altar. His body was naked, his pale skin covered in scars and tattoos that stood out sharply in the altar's light.
His hands hung at his sides, his head tilted slightly upward. His eyes were closed, his breathing slow and even.
Three divine artifacts had been placed around Corax on the altar, forming an equilateral triangle.
The artifacts radiated powerful Chaos energy, creating ripples visible to the naked eye in the air. They resonated with the runes on the altar, producing a low hum.
Bella stood at the edge of the altar, slowly raising her hands with her palms facing Corax.
Her body was composed of pure darkness and distorted slightly in the air. Her outline shifted between clarity and blur, as though she existed somewhere between being and nothingness.
Complex emotions flickered in her gaze: anticipation, concern, but above all a