Cogboy didn't interrupt the Primarchs' brooding. He just stood quietly to the side, waiting. Only when Guilliman and Sanguinius finally looked back up did he slowly speak.
"My Lords, please follow me."
He turned and walked toward a freestanding shrine deeper within the Garden of Heroes.
Guilliman and Sanguinius exchanged a glance before matching his stride. The shrine wasn't huge. It was built entirely from white stone, making it stand out starkly against the surrounding sea of black headstones.
Another inscription was carved into the lintel above the shrine's doors:
"Those resting here are the paragons of our generation."
Cogboy pushed the shrine's heavy doors open and stepped aside.
Guilliman and Sanguinius shared another look before stepping inside. The interior was incredibly spartan. Dead center stood a massive thirty-meter-tall monolith. The stone was densely packed with endless rows of names. It was a master ledger, a compilation of every single soul laid to rest in this Garden of Heroes. A few rows of simple wooden benches sat in front of the monolith, giving mourners a place to rest.
Cogboy walked slowly up to the monument, turned around, and looked at Sanguinius. His mechanical optics met those pale golden eyes.
"Lord Sanguinius." His voice was calm, yet carried a profoundly meaningful weight. "Are you satisfied with Crimson Dawn's governance now?"
Sanguinius fell silent for a couple of seconds. He looked at this mortal governor, taking in the absolute, unapologetic clarity in his eyes.
He finally spoke, his voice rumbling low. "Governor Cage, you've done... far beyond what I ever expected. But you know that's not the only answer I came here looking for."
Cogboy nodded. Without another word, he turned and pointed to a massive metal door to the right of the monolith. The door stood ten meters tall, forged entirely from pure adamantium. Its surface was etched with the exact same runes as the stone monument.
"What you're looking for is in there." He paused, then glanced over at Guilliman. "Lord Guilliman, you may accompany him as well."
Guilliman raised an eyebrow. He looked at the towering door, then back at Cogboy's utterly placid face. He didn't ask what was inside. He didn't ask if it was a trap.
He just nodded. "Let's go, brother."
He clapped Sanguinius on the shoulder, and the two Primarchs walked side by side toward the heavy vault.
Behind them, Cogboy's voice rang out one last time. "The door will shut on its own. When you come back out, we'll continue the tour."
Guilliman didn't look back. He merely gave a slight nod.
As their massive frames disappeared beyond the threshold, the ten-meter adamantium door slowly sealed shut behind them with a deep, echoing boom.
Beyond the door lay a dim, shadowy corridor. Crystals embedded in the walls on either side pulsed with a soft glow, barely illuminating the path ahead. Guilliman and Sanguinius walked down the tunnel for about three minutes before the narrow passage suddenly opened up.
It was a massive, circular vault.
The ceiling stretched fifty meters high, embedded with countless crystals radiating a faint golden glow. The light bathed the entire space in a solemn, sacred halo.
The center of the room was completely empty.
But suddenly, a brilliant light flared on the bare floor. The light quickly coalesced, taking the shape of a towering hologram nearly twelve feet tall.
He was clad in golden Aquilon Custodian Terminator armor. The Imperial Aquila sculpted onto his pauldron looked almost alive, and faint energy conduits pulsed across the surface of his breastplate. The figure was unhelmeted, revealing sharp features. His dark golden eyes looked at them with profound peace.
Sanguinius froze.
His pupils pinned, and a look of sheer, unadulterated disbelief washed over his flawless face.
"Titus!"
His voice was a hoarse whisper, trembling with suppressed emotion. He stepped forward fast, reaching out as if to grab the golden figure. But his hand phased right through the hologram.
He grasped nothing but air.
The golden projection just stood there, watching him calmly. Then, a deep, steady voice echoed through the vault.
"This is a pre-recorded holographic message. I cannot converse with you."
"So, while I don't know which of you lords have descended upon this world, I still must say... Welcome, my lords, to a very different Aurelian."
Guilliman walked up slowly, taking his place at Sanguinius's side. He stared at the golden figure, an incredibly complex emotion swirling in his ice-blue eyes.
The holographic projection of Paul continued, "But I knew, without a doubt, that Lord Sanguinius would come."
"I am here to offer you my sincerest apologies, Lord Sanguinius."
The golden figure bowed slightly, rendering a flawless salute of the Imperial Aquila.
"The deception back then was not born of malice. There are simply too many incomprehensible things in this vast universe. Lord Sanguinius, please do not let this burden your heart."
"If the day comes that we meet again, I promise to share a drink with you and properly make amends."
Sanguinius parted his lips to speak, but no words came out. Because it was just a recording.
The holographic Paul paused, his gaze seeming to sweep over both Guilliman and Sanguinius.
"As for my true identity, I imagine Lord Guilliman already has his suspicions. My reasons for adopting a disguise were never complicated. I simply did not want to see this planet burn, nor did I want to see the Blood Angels Legion suffer a devastating blow."
"That was all."
Guilliman furrowed his brow. He did indeed have his suspicions. From those peculiar Outlanders furiously studying for civil service exams back on Macragge, to this unknown entity standing before him who called himself Titus... there had to be some sort of connection between them. But what exactly was it? He still couldn't say for sure.
The hologram pressed on, the voice growing distant and profound.
"You only need to know one thing, my lords."
"We are the bringers of change. We are the great anomaly."
"The destiny of the Imperium of Man is about to shift onto a new track. It is a path so pitch-black that humanity across the entire galaxy will not be able to bear it."
"But predetermined fate cannot be undone. To forcibly alter it would only invite an even more terrifying cataclysm."
Sanguinius's eyes narrowed.
Predetermined fate?
With the Imperium of Man at the absolute zenith of its power, what kind of dark destiny could possibly threaten it? Who could possibly plunge this mighty Imperium into darkness?
"Forgive me, but I cannot reveal everything to you just yet," the hologram said. "Your father, the Emperor, knows far more than you do. I can only offer you this warning..."
"Be careful. Be incredibly careful."
"Chaos is imminent."
Sanguinius's pupils shrank once again.
Chaos? Imminent?
His mind flashed back to the shattered visions he occasionally glimpsed in his foresight... Burning fleets. Fallen brothers. The Golden Throne drenched in blood...
The holographic Paul spoke his final words:
"One day, you will see me again. And when that day comes, Lord Sanguinius, we might just be fighting side by side."
Sanguinius caught his breath.
Fight side by side? With the man who deceived me?
"Crimson Dawn is merely one of the many factions I have lent a hand to. They are good people. Do not make things difficult for them."
With that, the golden hologram slowly faded. It broke apart into motes of golden light, drifting up to merge with the glow of the ceiling crystals.
A long, heavy silence fell over the vault. Sanguinius stood rooted to the spot, completely motionless. The expression on his face was impossibly complex. There was relief, confusion, the lingering ashes of anger, and a heavy dose of burden.
He didn't know how much of those words he should actually believe. But he did know one thing: the stone that had been hanging over his heart for twenty-three years had finally dropped.
Guilliman stood beside him, silent for a few seconds. Then, he reached out and clapped Sanguinius hard on the shoulder. The impact was heavy enough to actually make Sanguinius sway.
"Let's go, brother."
Sanguinius turned his head to look at him. The corner of Guilliman's mouth ticked upward into a faint smile.
"Someday, we'll figure out exactly who this Titus is. And that day isn't far off. When it comes, I'll help you beat the living daylights out of the kid. Payback for the deception."
Sanguinius looked back at his brother, seeing the absolute, unflinching sincerity burning in those ice-blue eyes. He took a deep breath and gave a slow nod.
"Let's go."
The two Primarchs turned in unison, walking shoulder to shoulder toward the exit. Behind them, the towering ten-meter adamantium door slowly groaned open.
Outside, Cogboy was exactly where they left him, waiting quietly in front of the monolith. Seeing the Primarchs emerge, he offered a slight bow.
"My Lords, are you satisfied? Shall we continue the inspection?"
Sanguinius looked at him, letting a couple of seconds of silence pass. Then, he finally spoke. His voice was gentle, carrying a thread of genuine apology.
"There is no need, Governor Cage."
"I am... very satisfied with your governance. And I apologize for doubting you earlier."
Cogboy smiled, a look of profound relief washing over his features. "You flatter us, Lord Sanguinius. It is our duty. We only did what had to be done."
Guilliman's gaze swept past the shrine, out over the sprawling Garden of Heroes, and rested on the crowds still mourning at the headstones. When he spoke, his voice was dead serious.
"Governor Cage, I hope Crimson Dawn never loses this founding vision. I hope you always treat these..." He raised a hand, pointing at the endless sea of grave markers. "...people as actual human beings."
"You've given me a lot to think about. I'll be taking some of these lessons back to Macragge and Ultramar."
Cogboy slowly raised his right fist, slamming it over his left breastplate. The resounding clang of metal on metal echoed endlessly through the shrine.
"Crimson Dawn will not disappoint you, Lord Guilliman. And we pray that your vision comes to pass as well. May this galaxy be filled with dawn, praise, flowers, and happiness. Crimson Dawn will absolutely lead by example."
His voice was as hard and unwavering as iron.
The three of them walked out of the shrine together. Outside in the plaza, the Garden of Heroes was still packed to the brim. The fresh bouquets laid at the headstones continued to bloom brightly under the sun. The mourners were still finding their own ways to remember the family they had lost.
The sun began to dip in the west, bathing the entire City of the Holy Anthem in a warm, golden-red glow. On the distant hive observation decks, massive holographic screens were rolling previews for tonight's Mid-Autumn gala.
An immense, artificial full moon was slowly rising over the skyline.
Guilliman tilted his head back, staring up at that man-made moon. Then he looked back down at the quiet, mourning crowds around him. His thoughts drifted to his father, currently sitting in the resplendent Imperial Palace back on Terra.
Father... did you ever actually consider this?
Did you ever want humanity across the entire Imperium... to live with the same dignity as the people of Aurelian?
He didn't know the answer. But he did know that Crimson Dawn, in its own unique way, had just shown both him and Sanguinius an answer. They had witnessed a dawn entirely unique to Aurelian... the Crimson Dawn.
Guilliman thought to himself...
Father... we are so tired of war.
If it is at all possible, could we... spread this dawn across the entire universe?
--
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