Kayvaa out a low growl, but nodded curtly. “Fine. Let’s finish this.”

  Though the events in Kayvaan’s mi like ay, in the real world only a brief moment had passed. Rosihe stone against his forehead as the soul of the a Eldar hered forth. The glowing figure entered Kayvaan’s body, and his entire frame trembled violently as the power of Chaos cshed with the a soul.

  “What have you done, you damned witch?!” ID roared, his voice eg with rage. His hand shot up, knog the spirit stone away, and his fist followed, aimed directly at Rosina’s chest. Dark energy crackled around his knuckles, promising instant annihition if the blow nded. But before the strike could ect, his ow hand shot out and caught his right wrist, halting the attack mid-swing.

  “What?!” ID’s eyes widened in panic. “What is this? What are you doing?!” The voice that responded was his own, but ced with calm, stern authority. “Stop this madness. Everyone here doesn’t o die—not like this. They’ve seen too much, but killing them won’t solve anything.”

  ID’s right eye burned with a bck mist, dark energy swirling like an endless abyss. But his left eye ignited with blue fmes of psychiergy, glowing with crity and resolve. Half his face twisted in darkness, a malevolent sneer, while the other half was calm and solemn, exuding a quiet dignity. “There’s no point in arguing,” the calmer side said aloud. “This fight is meaningless.”

  “Meaningless?” the chaod side sneered. “This body belongs to me. If you suppress me now, it’s only temporary. Your soul is mortal—it will die. And when it does, I’ll rise again. You ’t stop me forever.”

  The left hand, rose again, this time toward his right eye. The i was clear: to gouge out the source of the darkness. But before it could reach, the right hand intercepted, shoving it away. “Self-destru won’t help you,” the chaos side hissed mogly. “This is my body too. If you won’t protect it, I will.”

  Kayvaaire body trembled as the internal struggle raged on. But gradually, the bck mist overtook both eyes, and the dark energy once again ed him. With a shake of his head, ID regained trol, releasing a wave of oppressive energy that rippled through the air like a tide. A rge baterialized in front of the Red Witch, its edges shimmering with chaotiergy. ID gestured zily toward it. “Go. I won’t kill you.”

  The Red Witch stretched her neck, the motion apanied by a crag sound as she recovered her posure. She smirked. “Goodbye, strong man. And to you, Elizabeth—such a pity we couldn’t have a proper chat. I hope we never meet again.”

  Elizabeth frow her in fusinition dawned on her face, and her voice trembled. “Ly… Lysandria ?”

  The Red Witch offered no reply. With a light ugh, she stepped through the dark portal and vanished into the swirling chaos. ID turned his attention to Sydria. Another door appeared, this one formed entirely of pure spiritual energy. “This will take you to the Webway,” he said coldly. “Take the inquisitor with you. Make sure she gets back to where she belongs—alive.”

  As he spoke, he tore Elizabeth’s outer clothing away, exposing her bare abdomen. She gasped, too stuo resist as his fingers pressed against her stomach. Ign her cries of pain, he ied his hand into her flesh. His hand withdrew as quickly as it had entered, leaving Elizabeth trembling in shock. Her mind raced, trying to prehend what had just happened. “Why?” she finally mao whisper. “Why would you do this?”

  “Killing you would’ve been the easy way to avoid trouble,” ID said with a sly smile. “Letting you go, though—that’s just creating more trouble for myself. But as for what I left inside you, well… that’s something I should’ve done under better circumstances. If it weren’t for all these interruptions, we could’ve do in a much more refined way.”

  ID had directly infused his esseo Elizabeth’s womb. Uhe influence of Chaos, it was iable—Elizabeth would ceive.

  Rosina and Sylph, bearing Elizabeth’s weight between them, dragged her toward the Webway. Along the way, Elizabeth spat curses at ID with venomous fury. Her voice dripped with hatred so profound it seemed to echh the chaotic air. ID, however, simply ughed, clearly enjoying her rage. “Goodbye, dies,” he called out mogly. “I didn’t kill a single beauty tonight. Holy, I’m rather pleased with myself.”

  As the blue portal closed behind them, the rge tent fell silent. ID stood alone amidst the ruins, his wild ughter fading into the emptiness. The oppressive darkness dissipated, vanishing like a storm clearing in the summer sky. One moment, the air was heavy with Chaos; the , it ure and still, as if freshly washed by rain. The aftermath was desote—only shattered debris remained. ID stood at the ter of it all, exhaling a long, heavy sigh. Crackle of energy than spread from his body as one of his eyes ge once again…

  ***

  “You’re actually alive?” Randall’s voice was filled with shock as he stared at the woman before him. The man hadn’t expected to see someone long presumed dead standing in his office. “Elizabeth… You’ve returned? Do you even know what you’ve put me through? You vanished without a word—no updates, no messages. Five years! It’s been five years since you disappeared. I thought you were dead. Hell, I even paid for your tombstone myself. It’s in the public cemetery in St. Landau City!”

  Randall’s tone grew harsher, anger g his words. “You better have an expnation I accept, or I’ll save myself the trouble and shoot yht here. Do you have any idea how much paperwork I’ve had to deal with? As far as the Imperium is ed, you’ve been a glorious martyr for the past five years. And now, here you are, alive and well.”

  “Paid for it out of your own pocket, did you?” Elizabeth asked, ign his e as she nontly sank into a chair. “I thought the Imperium had a pension for such things. When I died, the loyal, brave inquisitor that I was, they should’ve given out a hefty sum. Seeing as I have ives, that money must’ve gone somewhere. So, where is it?”

  Randall froze for a moment, his face betraying his unease. Elizabeth wasn’t the same woman he remembered. The razor-sharp, coldly disciplined prosecutor had ged. She still exuded danger, but it was subtler now, hiddeh a fa?ade of casual fidence. Her edges were no longer overtly sharp but carried an air of maturity and trol. Yet Randall knew instinctively—this new version of Elizabeth was far more dangerous than the old. “You’ve ged,” he muttered, studying her carefully.

  “Five years will do that,” Elizabeth replied, a sly smile pying at her lips. “What kind of ges are you notig, Randall?”