The world around Joe began to uhe floor crumbled beh him, the walls disied into dust, and the ceiling dissolved, exposing the endless void of the above. Soon, even the sky itself seemed to peel away, leaving Joe weightless, suspended in a void.

  He looked down and saw a vast pin stretg endlessly in all dires. The earth below wasn’t brown reen, but a horrifying patchwork of corpses—humans, xenos, and uifiable monstrosities—covered the ground like a grotesque carpet. Blood pooled and gealed in rivers across the battlefield, staining everything a deep, siing red. Joe's heart pounded as he took in the horrifying se. “Is this… hell?” he whispered.

  “It’s n to call it that,” came Kayvan’s voice, steady but grim. “But it’s also irely right. This is a battlefield in the . Soon, a battle will rage here—ohat will decide everything. The enemy is unimaginably powerful, and I must give everything I have to face it. Joe, listen to me carefully. Stay true to your heart. Don’t let Chaos tempt you. Her words are poison, and they’ll seep into your soul if you aren’t careful. Whatever you do, don’t believe her.”

  “Her? Chaos? What do you mean?” Joe asked, his voice trembling.

  A sultry voice cut through the air, dripping with charm. “Chaos? Such a simplistic word.”

  Joe's gaze was drawn to the pin below as the corpses began to shift and rise, f a grotesque mound. From the ter of the heap, a hexagonal crystal ptform emerged, glittering ominously. At its ter stood a magnifit golden throne encrusted with dazzling jewels. Around the edges of the ptform, six ers dispyed something so mesmerizing, it rooted Joe to the spot.

  The first er ile of treasures: gold s spilling like water, massive rubies, opals, and diamonds glinting in the faint light. A golden idol stood among them, radiating a hypnotic allure.

  The sed er held a long baable den with food and drink beyond imagination—suct roasts, fresh fish, soft bread, and wihat sparkled in the light. Each dish exuded an irresistible aroma, and just as oe vanished, a new, even more entig one appeared in its pce.

  The third er was filled with young men and women ed by their necks. Their fwless skin aive movements seemed desigo ignite desire. Every gnce, every motion, exuded an intoxig allure that tugged at the deepest recesses of the mind.

  The other three ers were obscured by thick, swirling mist, their tents hidden from view.

  Atop the golden thro a woman, her presence as intoxig as it was anding. Her elegant frame was draped in a bck silk dress that g to her like a sed skin, its sheer fabric revealing tantalizing glimpses of the flesh beh. Her deep, gentle eyes seemed to draw in the very soul, and her smile was both f and dangerous.

  She leaned back, her voice like honey. “How childish it is to divide the gaxy into two simple sides—loyalty and heresy, justid evil. Only the na?ve see the world so simplistically. Adults uand that life is shades of gray, driven by personal is. Don’t you agree, Kayvan?”

  Kayvan’s voice was sharp and unwavering. “Enough of yames, daemon. I won’t be swayed by your words.”

  The woman ughed softly, her tone almost pitying. “You’re such a hypocrite, Kayvan. How long have you been running from me? Hiding behind your walls, plugging your ears, pretending I do? I’ve waited so long, knog at your door like a fotten child, and you’ve ignored me every time. And now that we meet at st, you spew these harsh words at me? You fear me, don’t you? Because deep down, you know I speak the truth.”

  Kayvan’s fists ched. “It’s true. Once, I couldn’t stand against you. My heart was too full of weakness, of desire. But not anymore. This ends now.”

  "Stop using that word; it’s ridiculous and makes me ugh," the woman in the bck robe waved her hand dismissively. "You talk about heresy and loyalty as if they mean something, but those ideas crumble under scrutiny. They’re hollow cepts that fall apart the moment you think too deeply about them. But why waste time on such b things? Look around you—at the wealth, the shimmering gold, the dazzling jewels. This is treasure beyond what most mortals could dream of possessing in a lifetime. A, it’s yours for the taking.

  "Kayvan, you’ve fought for the Imperium through life ah. You’ve dedicated your entire existeo proteg humanity—shielding them from alien horrors, exterminating tless alien races. Without you, how many would have been torn apart or reduced to fodder for their maes? And what did you get for your sacrifices? Nothing. Nothing but a pile of broken armor! After all you’ve done, all you’ve suffered, you stand here empty-handed!" Her voice was ced with sorrow, though her expressiorayed a certain cruelty.

  "The lords of the Imperium? They’re lounging in their paces, drinking priceless amased g themselves. They exploit the poor, stash unimaginable wealth i vaults, and use their positions to indulge in every vile desire. And the governors?" She ughed bitterly. "They’re worse than animals, taking any they please and killing anyone who dares displease them. They act like gods—but even gods have rules. These men are worse. And their children, their desdants, will i this power and tihe cycle of tyranny. This is the system you’ve dedicated your life to defending. Are these truly the people you’re risking everything for?"

  Kayvan stood firm, his voice calm but resolute. "It’s my duty. I haven’t given my life for nothing. I’ve earned honor in my service, and I hold faith in my heart."

  "Honor? Faith?" The woman scoffed, her smile twisting into one of dession. "Those medals? Those scraps of iron they pin on your chest? They’re meaniris, Kayvan. And as for faith..." She chuckled, shaking her head as if addressing a na?ve child. "You’re fooling yourself. You have nothing."

  Kayvan’s gaze sharpened, his voice edged with cold defiance. "And what you offer me that’s any different?"

  Her lips curved into a sly smile. "What do you desire? Wealth? I have that in abundance." She walked to a t pile of gold s, letting a handful slip through her fingers. The s ked and shimmered as they fell. "Listen to that sound. Isn’t it beautiful? All of this could be yours. I give you more wealth than you could ever spend. You could live in a pace of gold, Kayvan. Even your ons could be gilded, if you wished."

  "Cheap illusions," Kayvan sneered. "They’re meaningless."

  "Illusions? Perhaps," the woman admitted with a slight tilt of her head. "But feel them, touch them. These gold s, these gems—they’re indistinguishable from the real thing. The weight, the texture, the sound—they bring the same pleasure and satisfa. Why yourself with whether something is real or not? Isn’t enjoyment enough?" Her eyes glinted with malice, but Kayva her gaze with a derisive smile, full of mockery.

  Her tone shifted suddenly, taking on a seductive lilt. "Ah, I see. Money doesn’t move you. How about food, then? Here, try this." She gestured to an orable den with dishes. "This is the belly meat of a sea-beast from an o death world. The fi cut. And this wine?" She held up a crystal goblet, swirling its dark liquid. "The aroma alone is intoxig. To live without tasting something this divi’s a tragedy, Kayvan."

  "I eat to live, nothing more," Kayvan said coldly. "And I live to serve the God-Emperor."