On the other side of the hall, seven Space Marine captains from different Chapters formed another sharply distinct circle.
Just as the strange atmosphere was about to reach breaking point, the strategic hall's adamantium doors, weighing dozens of tonnes, slowly slid apart without a sound.
Two ranks of giants in golden Power Armour marched in, their steps perfectly synchronized and as steady as mountains. Every one of them was taller and stronger than any Space Marine present. Their distinctive Chapter insignia, intertwining teardrops and red hearts, reflected an unsettling gleam beneath the lights.
The Sons of Sorrow.
The confidence, strength, and... warmth they radiated, as though they could banish every shadow, were as unfamiliar as they were awe-inspiring.
General Gage's pupils abruptly contracted. He was a soldier who knew quality when he saw it. One glance told him that this guard was unlike any other. Their MK-X "Tacticus" Power Armour was the Imperium's newest and finest model. Its flawless paintwork and precision joints all proclaimed the highest standards of Martian craftsmanship. The Boltguns in their hands bore intricate prayers of blessing engraved along their bodies, clearly painstakingly modified by top-tier Techmarines.
This... this was no ordinary Chapter's honour guard!
Once the guards had taken their places on either side of the doors like two golden ramparts.
A figure slowly emerged from behind them.
He wore no elaborate commander's robes, nor was he draped in sashes and badges proclaiming his rank. He wore only the same golden Power Armour as his guards, yet his armour seemed alive. Golden radiance flowed slowly across its surface, as though it were breathing.
He wore no helmet, revealing a young, handsome face with a depth that belied his age.
The instant he appeared, even the air throughout the hall seemed to change.
An invisible, warm