Chapter 97: I Killed My Father!
Lorgar's eyes glazed over, the determination and pride that once defined him extinguished. Nothing remained but hollow chaos.
Horus watched his brother's fall with cold detachment. Though no affection lingered between them, seeing Lorgar reduced to a servant brought him a bitter satisfaction.
"You finally understand, Lorgar," Horus murmured. "You will stand with me when we tear down this rotting empire."
Click.
A faint sound drew his attention. Horus lifted his gaze to Erebus, who was edging toward the exit. When he spoke, his voice carried absolute fury.
"Erebus. You. Despicable. Wretch."
"I should have seen it from the beginning, you're nothing but a parasite, clinging to power through lies and manipulation."
"You thought yourself clever. Thought you could control me, that the powers of Chaos were your tools to command."
Panic flickered across Erebus's face, though he fought to maintain composure. "Warmaster, you cannot deny I opened the door to true power for you. Without me, you would never have seen the Emperor's hypocrisy. You would never have achieved such greatness."
Horus's laugh was cold iron. It echoed through the hall like distant thunder.
"Greatness? You think you gave me power? That you delivered me to Chaos?"
"No, Erebus. That was the will of the Gods themselves. And you? You're just a disgusting shell. A disposable mouthpiece."
Horus advanced slowly. Darkness rippled outward from each footfall, making the floor tremble. His voice rose with each word, laden with rage and killing intent.
"You're a coward, Erebus. You've never faced an honest fight. Your glory has always been stolen, never earned."
"You hide in shadows, whispering like a rat, using petty tricks to achieve your pathetic goals."
A chill ran down Erebus's spine. He retreated a step, forcing a brittle smile. "Horus, I serve you. I serve Chaos! Killing me only weakens us, aids the Emperor and his—"
Horus stopped. His eyes burned with intensifying crimson light as he stared at the Word Bearer.
He raised one hand.
An invisible force seized Erebus and lifted him from the ground. The First Chaplain's body hung suspended, limbs twitching, groaning in pain. He struggled against the psychic grip, but it was futile.
Horus's fingers curled slowly inward. Erebus's body began to contort.
Chaotic energies invaded flesh and blood, tearing at his very soul. He screamed, a piercing sound filled with despair and agony.
"Ah... gods... please... help... help me..."
His body started to disintegrate. Black energy ripped through skin and bone, dragging his soul toward the void. His screams faded gradually, swallowed completely by darkness.
When it was done, only a twisted, broken husk remained on the floor.
Horus seemed satisfied. More dark power poured into him from the Warp, filling the void where his humanity had been. His eyes still burned with that dark red light, but it began to dim, replaced by something unknowable, as if his thoughts were being pulled into some terrible abyss.
The Sons of Horus, who had arrived at the commotion, including First Captain Abaddon, witnessed everything. None dared make a sound.
Even the proud Abaddon felt an alien fear in his Primarch's presence.
His power had transcended their understanding. He was no longer mortal, no longer simply their Warmaster, but something... else. Something indescribable.
Then, just as they stood in breathless silence awaiting orders, Horus let out a low laugh.
He turned toward them.
"Hehehe~ Khorne, Nurgle, Slaanesh, Tzeentch... and you, Abaddon, Little Horus, Aximand..."
"All of you, come here!"
"Look! This is the ring my father gave me!"
Horus removed his left gauntlet and tossed it carelessly aside. He raised his bare hand, showing them the worn golden ring on his smallest finger.
"Do you see it? This gift is reserved only for a Warmaster."
"My father created me before I was even born. He called me his finest work."
"He said no matter where I fought, he would be with me."
"Even with so many sons, Father loved me most. Only I grew up at his side."
Hehehe~
He stared at them with manic eyes. Their silence seemed to confuse him.
Then he roared.
"Say something! Why are you standing there like statues?"
"Didn't you hear me? This is Father's one-of-a-kind ring! What's wrong with you?"
"Why won't you speak? Why won't you acknowledge that I'm Father's most beloved son? I'll kill you all!"
His massive hand stretched toward them, wreathed in black energy.
Completely bewildered, Abaddon and the others faced that killing intent and immediately answered in terror.
"That's... incredible! Magnificent, my lord!"
"The Emperor... surely... loves you most!"
"The Emperor's... favorite son!"
"Truly unique!!"
Under immense pressure, the Sons of Horus continued their desperate praise, forced to their knees as their armor groaned under the psychic weight.
Their eyes held only horror. This wasn't their father. Their Primarch would never treat them this way. What had happened to the Warmaster?
Satisfied with their response, Horus lowered his hand and nodded.
"That's right. I am the Emperor's favorite son."
"Yes, I am the Emperor's most beloved..."
"Who... who is the Emperor? Isn't he my father...?"
"Father... is the Emperor? Father...? Emperor?"
But even as he spoke, Horus screamed again.
"NO!!! He is NOT the Emperor!!!"
"He's a FALSE EMPEROR!! I must kill the False Emperor!!"
"I will not let you sacrifice yourselves in vain! I will not waste your lives!"
"I love you all! I won't let the False Emperor kill you!!!"
"I will tear him from the throne! Liberate the Imperium from his tyranny!"
He clutched his head, roaring incoherently, his eyes growing more chaotic and frenzied with each passing moment.
"No! Who am I? I am— where is my father?"
"NO!!! NO!!!"
"I killed my father! I KILLED MY FATHER!!!"
He collapsed to his knees.
Abaddon and the others watched in horror as Horus knelt before Erebus's twisted corpse, weeping and pleading with the dead.
A chill ran through them all. What had happened to their Warmaster?
At that exact moment, Abaddon felt multiple gazes upon him, that nauseating, viscous sensation returning with a vengeance.
He closed his eyes and clenched his fists as whispers rose from the depths of the Immaterium. These voices were hoarse and violent, as if millions of souls wailed and screamed in his ears simultaneously while whispering unspeakable secrets.
Sweat rolled down Abaddon's forehead. Even he could not fully resist Chaos's erosion.
Suddenly, the whispers transformed into violent psychic shock, like an invisible blade piercing his consciousness.
"AAAAAAH!!!"
His eyes snapped open. His golden pupils reflected a flowing void.
He stood nowhere real, nowhere false, a twisted realm existing between time and space.
The sky above tore apart into churning warp storms, scarlet lightning raging within, emitting deafening roars. The ground was an endless sea of blood, corpses floating on its surface, some still alive, their twisted souls struggling in agony, wailing for help that would never come.
At the center of this infernal vision floated a colossal black throne.
Four distinct auras surrounded it: the raging tide of blood and fury, the stench of disease and decay, the whispers of desire and temptation, and the invisible web of lies and sorcery.
These presences coalesced into four indistinct figures, each watching Abaddon like a beast studying prey, or gods awaiting sacrifice.
A deep, terrible voice resounded in his mind, as if four powers spoke as one, or perhaps it echoed from within his own heart.
"Abaddon. Bearer of the black standard. Warlord of the Apocalypse."
The voice was deep and violent, each word shaking his very soul. Immense pain made him clutch his head as if it would split apart. He tore at his scalp repeatedly. Bloody wounds spread from his head across his entire body as he screamed in agony.
"AAAAAAH!!!"
"What are you saying?! What do you WANT?!"
[End of Chapter]