Lucia stepped out onto the cobblestone street. She was pleasantly surprised to feel the uneven roughness of the surface under her feet; it was a delightful change to the absolute nothingness that had surrounded her for so long.
The warm, golden rays of the setting sun kissed her cheeks. A gentle breeze tugged at her shoulder-length hair. Lucia closed her eyes and raised her face to the sky, letting the pleasant sensations wash over her. The electric rush of euphoria coursed through her body, tugging her lips into a wide grin and making her fingertips tingle.
"Home," she whispered.
Glanvill was a small sea-side village on the second planet of the Valais system, somewhere deep in the Segmentum Obscurus. Comfortably nestled between forest and sea, the weather was always mild, the food and resources plentiful, the villagers helpful, friendly, and kind. At least until…
Lucia opened her eyes again and frowned. She looked around. Erebus was behind her, its hawkish eyes studying her with the same curious intensity as before. There was no sign of her chrysalis, or the Immaterium for that matter; the illusion, if that's what this was, was complete. An unexpected pang of regret twisted her stomach, passing quickly as overwhelming curiosity forced it from her mind.
The psyker locked eyes with the creature that had brought her back to this place. "This isn't just any day, is it? This is…"
Erebus nodded. "The day of your psychic awakening."
The creature's eyes shifted slightly, refocusing; something behind the psyker had caught its attention. Lucia turned and saw herself walking toward the village from the north.
The Lucia of six years ago was so young.Six years…Six years wasn't a long time in the grand scheme of things, and yet it felt like a lifetime ago, like she was looking at someone else entirely. So much had happened since the fateful night that was about to transform that carefree, naive young woman into a killer.
The thought of experiencing the attack again turned Lucia's stomach. But it also piqued her curiosity. She wouldn't just be reliving the moment, or playing it out again in her mind as she had done so many times before. Instead, she would be watching it all unfold with the benefit of hindsight, studying the events as an outside observer. What would she see that hadn't been apparent the first time? Would it all play out the way she remembered it? Lucia knew that memory was fallible. But the events of this night were so intertwined with her identity that the thought of them being misremembered frightened her.
The young woman continued along the path toward them, heading for home. She adjusted the heavy sack slung over her shoulder, wiped the sweat from her brow with the back of a dirty hand. She had been out in the fields and forest north of the village since sunrise that day, foraging for roots, fungi, and herbs to restock her pantry. It was tiring work, but she had always enjoyed it. The intoxicating smell of the earth, the organic warmth as it sifted through her fingers, had always evoked a serenity like no other.
She had just passed the tavern when her pace slowed. A moment later, she stopped and lowered her sack, indecision written plainly across her face. The fingers of her free hand tapped rhythmically against her upper thigh as she weighed her options.
Decision made, she nodded contentedly to herself, a smile spreading across her face. She hefted the sack back over her shoulder and headed into the tavern for some much-needed refreshment.
"If only I kept walking…"
"Then you would not be who you are today. Would that be better?"
Lucia sighed. "No, I suppose not. But seeing myself here… Throne, I was so young. I…"
Erebus moved closer to her. Its presence at her side was unnerving. And yet, she had to admit, it was also oddly comforting. There was a relief in not having to face this alone.
"Change is the one constant in the universe. Your psychic awakening was inevitable. If not on this day, or in this way, then in some other."
Lucia nodded, following the logic through to its conclusion. "I understand. Things could have gone so much worse. That doesn't make being here feel any better, though."
Erebus shrugged. It floated toward the tavern, weightless despite Lucia's feet being firmly planted on the ground. "Come."
Lucia followed, and as she did so, the entire world shifted. The cobblestone street melted away. The warm glow of the sun faded to a flickering candlelight. The tavern expanded, enveloping them. They were inside.
Young Lucia sat at the bar alone, her sack on the floor in front of her. She waved for the bartender and waited patiently; it was a busy evening.
The psyker looked around, trying to find the man that would set everything in motion. She had always imagined he was already there, watching her as he drank, waiting for the moment to make his move.
Erebus pointed silently at the door.
It swung open. Lucia's heart skipped a beat. Three men entered, laughing and talking loudly. She recognized the first two as men from her village. She didn't know them personally, but she had seen them around, doing odd jobs for pay or favours. They were always friendly and, as far as Lucia knew, no one ever spoke ill of them. And then there was him.
He was tall and muscular, a veritable fortress of a man. Emerald eyes and a chiseled, stubble-covered jaw gave him the kind of rugged handsomeness that made most of the village women swoon.
The man was a newcomer to the village. Lucia had first seen him a few weeks ago, but where he had come from, or why, was a mystery. Lucia didn't even know his name before he had introduced himself this night. She still didn't.
The young woman's drink had finally arrived: her favourite spiced mead. She sipped it slowly, the warm flavours of cinnamon and cardamom dancing across her tongue. Behind her, the newcomer followed his friends to a corner table, all the while stealing glances in her direction. He stumbled over an untucked chair, cursing loudly, his voice mingling with countless others in the bustling tavern.
Lucia shook her head slowly. "I don't know what I expected he would be doing, but it certainly wasn't that." She paused a moment. "I guess I always imagined him more… sinister? Watching him now, he seems…"
"Endearing?" Erebus offered.
The psyker scowled. "Awkward."
Lucia watched in silence as they drank, her younger self nursing that single cup, the man and his friends draining multiple. The men shared stories and laughter, growing more and more animated as the evening wore on. Everything about the moment felt ordinary, but as the young woman's mead slowly disappeared, the knot in the psyker's stomach tightened.
The two village men caught the newcomer staring. It didn't take much to spur him to action. A little teasing, some words of encouragement, and the man was on his feet, swaying under the influence of his liquid courage. He closed his eyes for a moment, placed his hands on the table to steady himself. With a grunt and a curt nod to his friends, the man strode confidently toward the bar.
Young Lucia had just drained the last of her mead when her admirer sidled up to her, a friendly, lopsided grin on his face.
"Evenin', miss."
The young woman returned his smile. "Hi."
She wasn't particularly in the mood for conversation. It had been a long day, and she very much wanted to head to bed. She reached for her sack.
"Care for another drink?" The man gestured at her empty cup. "Name's Silas. Seen you 'round the village a few times. Gotta say, you're the prettiest woman I ever laid eyes on."
Lucia scoffed. The young woman let out a nervous laugh. Her cheeks were flush, and not just from the mead. "Thanks, but I'm done for tonight. Another time?" She wasn't sure that there would be another time, but it seemed the polite thing to say.
Silas grabbed the sack. Lucia's stomach dropped. This was it, the first link in a chain of events that lead to death.What could I have done differently?
"Lemme give you a hand with that."
The young woman frowned. "I can manage."
She tugged at her sack. Silas held firm. His smile faded, his friendly veneer peeling away to reveal drunken arrogance.
Lucia clenched her fists. Her younger self rose to her feet. "Let go." She tugged at the sack again, tried to prise Silas' fingers off.
The tavern had gone quiet. All eyes were on them.
Silas shrugged and released his grip. The smile returned to his face. He held his hands up in a placating gesture. "Alright, alright. Jus' tryin' to help."
The young woman scowled as she hefted the sack over her shoulder. She pushed passed Silas and hurried out the door. It slammed shut behind her.
Hushed whispers broke out around the tavern, spreading like wildfire across all the patrons until every table was alight in gossip.
Silas looked around, frowning at the furtive glances in his direction. "Mind yer business," he growled.
Silence fell, the tavern melted away, and Lucia found herself outside again on the cobblestone street. It was late, but the streetlamps hadn't been lit. The sun had almost completely set, a reddish-purple glow all that remained of the daylight.
The young woman stopped a few paces away from the tavern, visibly shaken. She looked up at the clear twilight sky and took a deep, shuddering breath. The stars were visible and shining bright as ever. She stood there for a moment, tracing constellations with her eyes to calm herself, and then continued toward home.
Lucia clenched her teeth. "This is it…"
The young woman had only made it passed a few houses when Silas grabbed her from behind. She struggled against his powerful grip, screaming for help. He clapped a firm hand over her mouth and hauled her down a dark alleyway between houses, her legs kicking frantically in the air.
Silas threw the young woman to the ground, hard. She grunted from the impact, struggled to regain her feet and put some distance between herself and her attacker.
Lucia forced herself to watch. To remain detached. To learn.
The man stood at the mouth of the alleyway, swaying like a sailor just returned from sea. Slowly, he drew a hunting knife from a sheath on his belt. The sound of the blade scraping against leather was deafening in the silence.
"Gotta teach you some manners, I s'pose." Silas wagged his knife at the young woman. His voice was thick. "See, when a man… when a man offers you help, you take it. Don't matter if you need it. It's a gesture. There's a…"
Silas waved the knife in the air absently, trying to find the word. The young woman's wide eyes followed its movements, her breath quickening.
"Contract," he said at last. "People expect things, y'know?"
The young woman bowed her head submissively. She was shaking. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean—"
"Shut up! Shut up… You… you don't talk. I'm talkin' an' you listen. You made me look the fool in there. The fool! But I ain't no fool. I ain't…" Silas sighed. "You follow the contract. Yeah?"
The young woman nodded quickly, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"Good… Good. How 'bout I take you home?"
Lucia braced herself for what was to come. Her eyes darted back and forth between her attacker and her younger self. She didn't want to miss anything.
Silas took a few unsteady steps forward, the knife still held out in front of him. His eyes were glassy.
The young woman backed away slowly, frantic eyes pleading with the dark houses to show her some way out. But the alleyway gave no answer. It was a dead end, and the only way out was through. She bolted.
Silas lurched sideways, surprised by the young woman's explosive movement. He stumbled into her, knocking her off balance. His free arm whipped out, wrapping tightly around her waist. She screamed in frustration as he hurled her back into the alleyway.
"See, you still ain't listenin'. You made me look the fool, an' that ain't right… Thatain'tright…People're gonna talk 'causeyoudidn't follow the contract." He let out a frustrated sigh.
"But we can fix that. Come tomorrow, people gonna hear how you had a change o' heart 'bout me, an' how I took you home, gentlemanly like."
A lecherous grin spread across Silas' face, and he resumed his advance.
The young woman wiped the tears from her eyes with a dirty sleeve. She planted her feet and raised her hands out in front of herself defensively. Her eyes narrowed as determination won out over fear. Her chest heaved. Her heart hammered. Win or lose, she would fight.
Silas chuckled. "Gotta say, wasn't expectin' to put in this much effort. Most don't need a whole lotta convincin'." He drew closer.
A chill filled the air. The alleyway grew darker. The world inhaled sharply and held its breath.
Silas stopped, just out of arm's reach. The young woman stared at her attacker with unseeing eyes.
Lucia remembered that moment well: the first time her mind had entered the Warp. It had terrified her, but she had quickly discovered how to navigate it, how to use its power to her advantage. She turned her attention to Silas.
His smile melted away, eyes widening as his face contorted in pain, confusion, regret. Fear.
And then it was over. Silas lay in a crumpled heap on the ground, lifeless eyes staring up at the bright stars, mouth open in a silent scream.
Lucia stared at his body, her heart pounding. She had always been so certain that he had deserved to die, but seeing him in his final moment,reallyseeing him, she wasn't so sure. He had made a mistake. A deplorable mistake, but a mistake nonetheless.Do people deserve to die for mistakes?
The psyker frowned. Maybe he didn'tdeservedeath, but she didn't deserve what he had decided to inflict upon her, either. She had defended herself, and he had died.We don't always get what we deserve.
"I died that night too," Lucia said to no one in particular. "That young woman doesn't exist anymore."
Erebus closed its eyes, that horrifying, toothy smile flashing across its face. A shudder ran through its body, its sparse plumage shimmering. "The change was substantial. Powerful. Do you feel it?"
Lucia took a deep breath. A surprising sense of relief washed over her. "Yes."
Reliving the moment had reminded her just how strong she could be, even in the face of overwhelming fear. She had chosen to fight back, chosen life. And in doing so, she had turned the page on a new chapter, one in which she was not that helpless young woman being dragged down the dark alleyway. She was a powerful psyker now, a faithful servant of the God-Emperor.
The village faded. Wispy tendrils of the buildings and streets unstitched and melted away, raw energy once more. They were back in the Immaterium.
Lucia floated in silence, trying to make sense of what she had seen. Her mind was racing.
"What exactly did we just experience? Were we really there, in Glanvill?"
"In a manner of speaking. We werethen, but notthere. We witnessed events as they unfolded, while they unfolded, but we could not have truly been a part of them; the veil between realms was not weak enough for us to cross through to the material world. We witnessed a projection of what was, as it happened."
Lucia thought for a moment.We werethen…
"Can you do me a favour? I think there's something important I need to do."