Elizabeth’s tone was almost cheerful, whily added to Marlbh’s disfort. “It’s not unusual for units like the Imperial Guard to avoid fighting Serapheas. sider yourselves lucky—you’ve been given the honor of fag the darkest creatures in the gaxy. For many Imperial citizens, this would be a privilege, a ce to prove their ce and loyalty to the God-Emperor. Tell your people this: do not engage Serapheas in versation, in thought, or in any spiritual way. Their words are poison, full of lies a. The only dialogue you should have with a Seraphea is through the barrel of yun. When you see one, shoot, and then keep shooting.”

  “I’m not sure we hold off an enemy like that,” Marlbh muttered, his voice trembling. “I hought I’d miss the green-skinned brutes, but now they seem almost... charming.”

  “Marlbh, don’t overthink it,” Kayvaan said, his tone reassuring. “This is just the worst-case sario. There’s a good ce we’ll destroy the altar and shut the gate before it stabilizes. If that happens, you’ll just o reposition to the sed line of defe that point, the real threat won’t be Serapheas but the Eldar rangers. Ohe gate is closed, aim every gun you have at the exit of the underground city and ensure none of them escape.”

  Elizabeth chuckled. “Kayvaan, you’re a devious one. I thought you had a pact with the Eldar—a verbal ant, wasn’t it? And now you pn to betray them.”

  “This is war,” Kayvaan replied fidently. “The Eldar are our enemies, and there’s nothing wrong with deceiving the enemy. Besides, I’m not breaking the agreement. The ant with their leader, Sydria, is to unite against the -spawhreat. Once we emerge from the city, the shared enemy will be defeated, and the agreement fulfilled. The result? All threats taln will be elimihe a city will be secure, and Gustav tinue his excavation. Elizabeth, you’ll get your prisoners, and everyone wins.”

  Elizabeth nodded, a faint smile on her lips. “I must admit, the pn is... elegant. I like it.”

  Kayvaan gnced around the room. “If there are no objes, then we’ll proceed. Earth time is currently 10:30. I’ve distributed the timetable, a routes, and orders to everyone here. I’ll handle iations with the Eldar. Lady Elizabeth, take Gustav and your team to the rendezvous point at the entrao the underground city.”

  Meanwhile Sydria situation is not as good. “I ’t believe you’ve stooped to iating with those Mon-keigh ! You’re an embarrassment to our kind. To think you would grovel to those primitive apes—what could they possibly uand about this fight?”

  “And what do you propose we do instead?” Sydria tered, her voice calm but firm. She swept her gaze across the gathered rangers, meeting their eyes one by oheir expressions were a mixture of despair and frustration. “Our situation is dire. Rosina has turhis ptrave. The work has been severed, our escape routes are gone, and we are utterly trapped. So, tell me—who among us stand against Rosina?”

  The cruel reality left no room for hope. Rosina appeared for the first time without warning. She said nothing, simply struck down a ranger with ruthless efficy, taking both the ranger’s body and their soul stone.

  Three days ter came the sed attack. This time, Rosina didn’t show herself. Twers vanished without a trace, as though they had been swallowed by the void. Their soul stones, as expected, were also gohe third attack came three days after that. The rangers had id an eborate trap, painstakingly desigo er Rosina. It failed spectacurly. Rosina swept through like a storm, leaving chaos in her wake. Three mers fell, their soul stones snatched from their lifeless bodies.

  Then came the fourth attack, mere days ago. Despite their desperate efforts, the rangers failed to prevent more losses. Fers were sin, and Rosina took their soul stones as easily as plug fruit from a tree. Against Rosina, the once-feared Aiters were no more threatening than children. Their lives were mere toys in her hands, extinguished at her whim. For the prers, this realization was both horrifying and humiliating.

  The rangers were not sidered one of the Paths of the Eldar. Uhe Whirling Eagle, Screaming Banshee, or Fire Dragon, the ranger athless wanderer, a being who had forsakerict discipline of the Paths.

  They were those who grew weary of the rigid rules and unging routines of Eldar society. The monotony of life uhe Paths ofteo feelings of despair, an incessant questioning: ‘Is this all there is? Will my days always follow the same, predictable pattern?’

  Curiosity about the universe’s mysteries pushed them to abandon their homes. What y beyond the dark expanse of space? What secrets hid beh distant stars? What wonders waited beyond the horizon? Ohese questions took root, they became impossible to suppress. Driven by this wanderlust, many became rangers, forsaking the structure of Eldar life for the freedom of the void. But this freedom came at a price. Without the protective structure of the Paths, a ranger’s heightened psychic awareness became a dangerous liability. Like a bea in the darkness, their preseracted predators, both physical and spiritual. Only those with extraordinary willpower survived for long. The weak often succumbed to despair, lost forever in the cold and unfeelihs of the gaxy.

  Sers roamed endlessly, while others explored the byrinthine Webway. A few even turo piracy or plundering, being merciless raiders. But regardless of their chosen life, all rangers who endured were exceptionally resilient in both mind and body. Rarely did they fall to corruption or succumb to the influence of Chaos.

  Rosina had been the greatest of them all—brilliant, disciplined, and seemingly incorruptible. Her fall to Chaos was not just shog; it was unthinkable. For the Eldar, there was no fate more horrifying than corruption. To be cimed by Chaos was a terror far worse thah.

  “The fallen Rosina isn’t just strong—she’s far strohan she was before,” Sydria said, her voice bitter. “Chaos has given her power, and she wields it without hesitation. She has bee a on of terror, sughtering her own people and stealing their soul stones. None of us stand against her. Even if we all joined forces, we wouldn’t stand a ce.” Her lips twisted into a sad smile. “It’s tragic. The Star Walker should embody freedom and romantic adventure, but here we are, relying on human soldiers to survive. I uand the humiliation you feel, but we have no choice. We must fight with everything we have. If we fail, the sequences will be far worse thah. Rosina doesn’t just kill. She takes our soul stones. She isn’t giving her victims back to the endless cycle of rebirth. If we die, our souls will be trapped in her hands. At best, we’ll cease to exist. At worst... we’ll suffer fates too terrible to imagine. For Rosina, the sequences will be even more horrific. If she fully succumbs to Sanesh, her torment will never end.”