Who am I? Where am I? What in the name of the Throne am I doing?
After a brief moment of existential dread, Emrys regained his composure. As expected, another catastrophe had unfolded with predictable precision.
The three of them had entered the Blackstone Pylon—the ancient tomb-vault of the C'tan—simultaneously. Yet, by some quirk of Necron chronomancy or spatial displacement, he was the only one standing directly before the prisoner.
Could this be considered a lamb walking into a lion's den? No, it was more like an ant stumbling into the lair of a god.
Emrys sighed. At this point, he was too weary to be truly surprised. When "accidents" occurred with this much frequency, they were no longer accidents—they were destiny.
"You're not going to ask me to help you escape, are you?" He looked up at the fragment of Mag'ladroth, the legendary Void Dragon.
The C'tan was suspended within a pulsating metallic cage that resembled a jagged, obsidian sea urchin. Its vast energy was being systematically siphoned by swarms of silver Canoptek Scarabs and multi-limbed arthropod constructs that hummed with a sickly green light.
"I can grant your desire."
The humanoid form of pure energy was unstable, flickering between a swarm of digital pixels and a solid, liquid-metal statue. Its voice was a monotone broadcast, devoid of organic emotion—cold, indifferent, and absolute, like the ticking of a universal clock.
"Any wish, no matter the cost, can be made manifest." The Shard's gaze seemed to encompass the birth and death of stars, eyes swirling with the fundamental laws of physics. "Do you wish to scour the Tyranid hive-fleet from the stars? Or perhaps you desire to replace the rotting corpse upon the Golden Throne? I can grant you authority over an empire that spans the galaxies, and the supreme power to rule it."
The Void Dragon's voice vibrated with a terrifying allure, weaving a tapestry of glory that would have broken the will of any ordinary man. It was a seductive, grand prospect that promised godhood.
Indeed, Mag'ladroth's proposal was tempting. Unfortunately for the C'tan, it was speaking to Emrys.
"R-really?"
Emrys allowed a look of frantic 'greed' to wash over his features. He played the part of a man on the verge of corruption perfectly.
"It is truth," the trapped Star God replied, its flickering form pulsing with a hint of predatory satisfaction. "As long as you are willing to break these bonds, I swear by the name of Mag'ladroth that I will repay your service. Your whims shall become reality."
"That's... that's incredible—"
Emrys' face flushed a deep crimson. He began to tremble, veins bulging on his forehead as if his mind were failing under the weight of the promise. Like a puppet on strings, he took two stumbling steps forward.
"Great Star God, Void Dragon... what must I do? How do I open this damned cage?"
To any observer, Emrys appeared to have fallen. He breathed in ragged gasps, his pupils blown wide as he stared at the imprisoned deity.
"It is simple, child," the Void Dragon whispered, its alien mind rejoicing. "Simply approach the control plinth. Sever the neural-links binding my essence, and I shall be free."
Just like that, Emrys thought, shuffling his feet closer.
Deep within the flickering energy of the Shard, the Void Dragon sneered. It knew the truth: this cage was a Tesseract Labyrinth of the highest order. It had no "release" function. Even if the stars died, the prisoner was never meant to leave.
But there was another path to freedom.
It would seize this mortal's shell. It would pour its essence into this fragile skin, utilizing the human as a living vessel to bypass the Blackstone dampening fields. Once outside the cage, it would be child's play for a god of technology to fabricate a new, immortal body.
Mag'ladroth did not mention that becoming the "skin" for a Star God was a death sentence for the soul. He didn't mind using this human's face to reconquer the galaxy.
Yes... closer... just a little further!
The Void Dragon watched with agonizing anticipation as the human approached. Just one more step and the mortal would be within the range of its energy-tendrils.
However, just as Emrys was about to cross the threshold, he stopped.
He was exactly half a step short of the range required for the Shard to possess his body.
"What is the matter, child?" the Void Dragon asked, its tone betraying a hint of desperate urgency. "Why do you hesitate? Do you not want the power to rule the stars? Do you not want to see the Imperium of Man fall at your feet?"
"Actually, no."
Suddenly, Emrys' voice changed.
The fanaticism vanished. The trembling stopped. His face settled into a cold, mocking smirk, the corners of his lips curling with derision.
"How does it feel? To be so close? Just half a step away from stealing my body and escaping this hellhole. Tell me, Mag'ladroth... do you feel even a tiny bit of despair?"
"You... you dare mock me?"
The Void Dragon's energy-form contracted sharply. It realized in a flash of sparking lightning that it had been played for a fool.
"Great Star God, do you feel like a jester?" Emrys stood his ground, head tilted to the side. "Oh, I forgot. You probably don't know what a jester is. It's someone whose job is to make others laugh. You're doing a great job, by the way."
"MORTAL—!!!"
The Void Dragon erupted in a roar of humiliated fury. Its rage manifested as a psychic and physical shockwave that distorted the local space-time continuum.
RUMBLE!
Violent air currents shrieked through the chamber, the floor cracking under the weight of the C'tan's wrath. It looked as though the entire pylon would collapse under the God's anger.
But it lasted only a second.
The silver Canoptek constructs wrapped around the cage suddenly flared with emerald light. They acted like lightning rods, siphoning the Star God's outburst into the Blackstone Pylon's internal batteries. Not a single spark of wasted energy was allowed to escape.
The "Void Dragon," so furious a moment ago, suddenly went limp, its energy drained by the very cage that held it.
"Why stop?" Emrys grinned, looking at the weakened deity. "Oh, that's right. You can't move. No surprise there. This is a Tesseract Labyrinth, specifically forged by your former 'servants' to keep you in your place. Did you really think it would be that easy?"
"Ah... curse you... worm...!" Mag'ladroth struggled, but every movement was met with a surge of green suppressing fire. Eventually, it hung exhausted, staring at Emrys with eyes full of ancient, cosmic hatred.
"Don't look at me like that, it's unsettling," Emrys said, sitting down cross-legged on the cold floor. He looked at the God with a faint smile. "Since you've finished your pitch, I think it's my turn. How about we make a deal?"
A deal? A mere human proposing a contract to a Star God?
The Void Dragon was about to unleash another volley of insults when Emrys spoke again.
"If you agree, I might just be willing to pull you out of this cage. I might even find you a proper vessel."
The Void Dragon's eyes flickered. "State your terms."
Even a God knew when to bow its head—especially when the alternative was an eternity of being siphoned by silver beetles.