The clamor of the grand feast swelled and swirled through the heart of the Imperial Palace like an enormous golden bubble.
The light of crystal chandeliers mingled with the gleam of exquisite food and wine, but in certain corners, conversations quietly touched on the shadows beneath that splendor.
Sanguinius held a half-finished glass of rich wine like liquid ruby, his white wings drawn slightly inward behind him. A trace of almost imperceptible worry rested on his flawless face.
His azure eyes, capable of discerning the joys and sorrows of the soul, slowly swept over his brothers gathered in small groups throughout the Banquet Hall, some drinking deeply, some whispering, others silent.
His gaze was like a precise probe, finally settling on an intangible absence.
There should have been a silent figure there, one accustomed to remaining in the shadows.
"Speaking of which..." Sanguinius's graceful voice rang out. "Where is Corax? Lately... why haven't we seen him at all?"
Nearby, Roboute Guilliman had been speaking quietly with several administrators from the Five Hundred Worlds. At Sanguinius's words, he turned, considered briefly, and answered:
"He only appeared briefly on the viewing platform at the moment of Horus's coronation. I noticed him, right at the edge of the shadows, almost blending into the background."
"As soon as the Ritual ended, he vanished. As silently as he had arrived. I haven't seen him since, either during the procession or at this banquet, nor have I received any reports of unusual activity by his Fleet in Terra's orbit."
Sanguinius sighed softly. The sound was almost inaudible, like a feather touching the ground, yet it carried weight.
"Ah... our poor brother." He murmured to himself, looking out the window into the endless void, as though he could see across the distance to that lone raven sailing