"Still awake, Viktor?" asked Roswaal, holding a blade over a candle, "Good. We are just getting started. You pass out sooner than I thought. I am quite envious of you, my master's chosen one. But I'm sure she'd get tired of you soon. Oh, you're wondering what I'm doing. I'm sanitizing my equipment. Using unclean equipment can cause infections, and infections can bring horrid results. So, what was I talking about? Right, you're father, Captain Leonhard Forschner of the Stalwart. I was going to break you first before telling you, but I think this story will help you understand your situation better. Your Emperor doesn't protect you. He protects no one."

His memory was hazy.

The commissar wondered how long it has been since he was chain up in the cellar. He suffered pain unimaginable by the pale man, as if tortured by the Dark God of Pleasure himself. A lantern by the tool table kindled a small flame. It was a tiny flame, but it burned so bright in total darkness. The commissar's vision was blurry from the swelling above his eye. On the wall hung a butcher's apron, stained with dried blood, and different tools that he painfully discovered their uses were displayed on a leather mat. His body was covered in new wounds, still red with only a thin layer of skin that recently healed. A metallic device was strapped around his mouth to prevent him from swallowing his on tongue.

Damn it all! Why am I here? His thought became louder. Why am I so powerless? Has the Emperor forsaken me? Had he been stronger, faster, he would have slain that heretic where he sat, tear his head off with his bare head. That pale weakling only defeated him through the use of cowardly magic. If only there was a way to receive the power to pull away the chains and slay the bastard who put him to shame, he would give up his soul.

Wait, he came to a realization, These are not thoughts of my own. He panicked as fear grew inside him.

"Ge- ouw ob ma hea-!" he screamed though the device on his mouth.

I can receive that power. All I need to do is but ask.

This is not me. This can not be me!

I can redeem myself through the blood of my enemies, like I always have. I shall drown the pathetic servants of that self-indulgent coward in the river of their own blood! And their skulls... hehehe... Theirs skulls will be my offering.

Get out of my head! I refuse you, fiend!

Not fiend. A god!

The commissar screamed. Fear began to tighten his airway, leaving him gasping for air. Sweat poured from his forehead as he tried to remember his training, but nothing came to mind. He frantically swiveled around, desperately searching for a reminder that the Immortal Emperor is still with him, protecting his soul from the entities of the Warp. All his pendants were taken away from him, and the Aquila mark on his chest was replaced by thin tissue of recently healed skin. He started to pant as his body trembled uncontrollably. He was truly alone in this dark cellar, out of the reach of the God Emperor.

So frightened by this new level of terror, the commissar did not notice that there was a person standing beside him. Two small hands grabbed his shoulders, snapping the commissar out from the madness that engulfed him. The commissar found one of the maids with blue hair holding his shoulders. She looked at him in fear and pity.

"Why go so far ?" she asked, her voice trembling.

The commissar stayed silent, calming himself.

"Who in the world do you work for? Is that person truly worth all this?"

The commissar kept his silence, not even looking up. Rem removed the device around his head and tossed it aside.

"Is it worth it? Do you enjoy this?"

The commissar jumped at her comment, rattling the chains.

"I do not enjoy these, heretic! May your soul rot in this the realm of the damned," he cried, still hurting for his wounds.

"Souls? You still seem to live in a fantasy world," her voice faded, looking down at the broken man with cold stares.

"Perhaps Rem should just free you from the pain instead. If Rem stabs you with this, it would be all over," she picked up a blade from the mat.

"Do it," he spoke, his voice lacking certainty, "I fear not death or torture. The Immortal Emperor... He is with me."

Rem gave an expression of disgust. She dropped the blade on the floor and grabbed his by his arms and held him up.

"Tell me something! What is Lord Roswaal planning?" she questioned, charged with rage.

"Kill me and be done with it."

"What is wrong with you? Because of you, my sister... my sister is...," she trailed off, "Everything is a mess now, after you showed up! Only if... Only if you hadn't shown up."

Rem's voice trailed off when she found that the man in chains was unlike the Commissar Forschner she met in the woods. He seemed lifeless and afraid. His eye has lost its zeal.

"I thought I already told you. He is not our enemy, despite that he reeks of the Witch's scent," a child's voice echoed.

A female child in a wealthy pink frilly dress appeared out of the darkness. She wore two spiral pigtails, tied with pink ribbons.

"Unless you came to torture him, I suppose." said the girl.

Rem bit her lips in anger, but she drew a small pendant from her pocket. The commissar's eye flashed when he saw the Aquila emblem they took from him.

"This," Rem asked, holding up the pendant, "Rem believes it is important to you."

The commissar snapped back to his old self for a little bit.

"Give it ba-"

"You can have it back," she interrupted, forcing it into his hand, "Rem apologizes for everything that has happened." Rem bowed her head.

The commissar held the pendant tightly in his hand, thinking that the Emperor was with him after all.

"The Emperor does not teach forgiveness, especially towards mutants and psykers" said the chained commissar, looking up at the blue-haired maid, "But above all else, my greatest enemies are heretics. I shall temporally side with you to purge those who knowingly fell away from the Emperor's grace."

"Don't get cocky, human," said the girl in pink, "I only agreed to save you because the brat asked me to, I suppose. She was worried that you disappeared and wanted me to find you. I have yet to tell her what Roswaal was doing to you."

"As sharp as always, that Emilia," said the commissar, trying to stand, "I shall listen to your issue, but first, release me from these chains. Then get me to my wargears."

Despite struggling to refuse treatment from Rem's healing magic, Rem continued to heal his wounds. The girl in wealthy dress destroyed the chains with a swipe of her hand. Holding back the urge to slay the mutant psykers where they stood, the commissar committed to accepting them as his provisional allies. They escaped from the cellar and ran to the closet where the commissar's belongings were kept.

"So, Roswaal was not someone who seek pleasure from torture, you say?" said the commissar, putting on his carapace armour, "His actions proved otherwise."

"That fool has been acting strange lately, I suppose," said the pig-tailed child, "And he stinks of the Witch's scent."

"My sister got closer to master to keep him from getting closer to me," said Rem, "But Rem sensed the Witch's trace around her recently. My sister would never align herself with the Witch!"

"So, it seems that she has been tainted as well," the commissar said to himself, throwing on his black coat. He drew the cutlass out of its scabbard and gave a few swings before putting it away.

"That idiot, Roswaal, seemed certain that you knew of the Witch personally, I suppose," said the girl in pink, "I discovered that you knew something he did not want you to. He tortured you in a way more cruel than any man I've ever seen before. But you've endured it, I suppose."

"I know no witch personally," he stated, picking up the bolt pistol.

The commissar reloaded his bolt pistol and stored the remaining bolt rounds in the pouch by his belt. He pointed it towards the wall and aimed down its sight.

"So what is it that you want from me, mutant?" he asked the girl.

"Your attitude towards me is very displeasing," complained the girl, "But I can wait until this issue is resolved to fix that, I suppose."

"Lord Roswaal fled the mansion with my sister after his battle against Lady Beatrice here," Rem answered.

"I am powerful when I am near the Forbidden Library," Beatrice told him, "I was able to defeat him, but he fled, I suppose."

"The biggest problem is the Witch Cult," said Rem, "They've spotted around the village in large numbers, kidnapping and killing villagers. They seem to be after Lady Emilia."

"And I assume that you are gravely underhanded," he said, picking up his cap, "which is why you decided to bring me out."

"I don't know where you find your confidence, human," said Beatrice, "We brought you out because the brat wanted to make sure you are safe. When you see her, do not tell her of the torture you had to go through; it will hurt her. She already feels guilty for bringing you here. That brat is too nice to everyone, I suppose."

"How many of these cultists do you expect?" asked the commissar.

"More than Rem could handle by myself," Rem answered.

"And you think adding one more person will turn the tide?" commissar questioned her.

"Foolish human," Beatrice mocked, "You are to help that brat Emilia get away from here." "Do not mock humans, mutant!" snapped the commissar, "You will regret it one day if continue to belittle humans."

Beatrice squinted her eye in the face of a challenge. The commissar glared back for a while but turned away.

"But today is not the day," the commissar muttered bitterly, grinding his teeth, "Our priority is getting Lady Emilia out of here, is this correct?"

"Yes," Rem answered.

"Where is she now?" he asked.

Rem pointed towards her room, "She is currently sheltered in her room."

"You," the commissar called Beatrice, "Could it be so that, you are only powerful near this 'Forbidden Library'?"

"Only? Why do you ask?" Beatrice questioned him, giving him a cold stare.

"How would you fare if we barricade within this mansion?"

"It is possible," she answered, "But as soon as this mansion goes down, you will all be dead."

"If we take a carriage, Rem can provide rear security while..." Rem paused, not knowing how to address the man in the black coat.

"Commissar Forschner is suitable," he said.

"While Sir Commissar Forschner clears the path with your magic weapon."

"Magic weapon? This? This is a kinetic weapon," he said, waving his bolt pistol.

They appeared puzzled at the commissar's statement. He decided to drop the subject.

"I can clear the path, but my ammunition is limited," he said, looking at his 3 reserve magazines. A bolt pistol is a side arm, and for commissars, a weapon to drive fear in both his enemies and his own. It was not meant to inflict massive casualties.

"But you do know how theses 'kinetic weapons' are used, right?" asked Beatrice.

"My faith demands that I never forget," he affirmed.

"Good, let's go see the brat, Emilia, then," said Beatrice, "There is also something you might find useful, I suppose."

Commissar Forschner and Beatrice walked up to the door of Emilia's room. Emilia greeted them in her usual white attire.

"Forschner!" Emilia shouted in relief, "I'm glad to see that you are okay. I heard you were imprisoned in the cellar for confinement. I am truly sorry for what Lord Roswaal has done to you."

"You are at no fault, Lady Emilia," replied Forschner, "The madman is the one who shall pay for his deeds."

Emilia looked surprised at his sudden turn of attitude.

"Lady Emilia?" Emilia repeated, "Why do you call me that all of a sudden?"

The commissar realized that she has no recognition of what happened in the life before.

"The madman has told me that you were a contender for the planetary governing position. As a commissar of the Imperial Guard, I show my respect to all those that deserve it."

"As cocky as always, I suppose," Beatrice murmured. The commissar chose to ignore her.

"Um, did they already tell you what is going on?" Emilia asked carefully.

"I have the gist of the situation," the commissar answered.

"Well, you are free to go whenever you want. We can even spare a carriage for you," Emilia told him.

"What?" Beatrice shouted at Emilia's overburdening act of kindness.

"It's alright, Beatrice. I won't ask for his help. We've done horrible things to him after all. And it's me the Witch Cult wants..." she trailed off, unable to look at Forschner's eyes.

Forschner looked at the apologetic half elf and made up his mind.

"Those heretics are enemies of mine as well," the commissar declared, "I will not rest until I see the world cleansed of their wretched kind. You have my assistance, Lady Emilia."

Emilia looked up in surprise as she expected a hostile reaction from the commissar.

"Are you sure?" she asked in disbelief.

"The last thing I would want," said the commissar, "is to grant those heretics what they desire. If you are what they are after, I certainly will not hand you over to them. Is that clear, Lady Emilia?"

Emilia smiled and said, "You are a good person, Forschner."

"Then you have not a clue what I am," he whispered in a solemn voice. Emilia tilted her head in confusion.

"Sir Commissar Forschner," Rem called out from behind them.

Rem brought over something that caught his eyes, an imperial lasgun. It seemed that the heretic has put his foul hands on Imperial wargears, and the commissar will now claim it back.

"By the grace of the Emperor! What else have you found in this mansion?" the commissar asked in excitement.

"There are a few more strange weapons and equipment, if you wish to look, Sir Commissar Forschner," said Rem. She brought out everything that her master had stored away in the armoury. What the commissar saw next was nothing less of a gift from the God Emperor himself. He had recovered two krak grenades, a laspistol, and energy cells. He hung the grenades on his belt, and holstered the laspistol, and stored away the rest in his pouches.

"If you are done, let us discuss your escape plan, I suppose," Beatrice said impatiently.

"Let the heretics come," challenged the commissar, inspecting the lasgun, "I will slaughter every filth that defiles the name of the Emperor to the last!"

A/N: I am probably going to update this story in a weekly bases instead of releasing each chapter whenever they are finished. As always, I hope you enjoyed and thank you for reading.