Sharrowkyn hid beneath a section of deck, his massive body blending naturally into the shadows.
A special light-absorbing coating covered his armor, making him almost impossible to see in the dim surroundings, as though he were part of the shadows himself.
His breathing was slow and even, his heart rate kept exceptionally low. Like a lifeless rock, he lay motionless in the darkness.
He was beneath a maintenance passage on the lower deck. Few people ever passed through here; only the occasional pipe maintenance worker came anywhere near it.
Through a gap, he could observe everyone who passed along the corridor above, while remaining completely undetected himself.
Just then, a deep voice came from inside his Helmet, penetrating his armor's soundproofing and reaching his ears with perfect clarity.
"Sharrowkyn..."
It was Corax's voice.
The Primarch of the Raven Guard, their father, the ghost who walked in shadows.
Corax's voice was calm and low, with a quality that suggested it had traveled from somewhere far away, piercing layer upon layer of spatial barriers.
"The Ringwraith has found the target. The future and the past will converge within him. Keep a close watch on him, protect him, and guide him—until that moment arrives."
Sharrowkyn's gaze flickered slightly in the darkness.
His blood-red pupils, like two burning embers in the dark, contracted slightly at the news.
He said nothing at first, merely giving a slight, almost imperceptible nod over the Communications Channel before answering in an equally low voice, "Understood, Father."
He slowly reached out and drew the Nemesis Blade from his waist.
The oddly shaped short sword gleamed with a dark silver sheen, which flowed slowly through the darkness like a living river winding along the blade.
As Sharrowkyn raised the Nemesis Blade before his face, the psychic energy along its edge