*Endurance*, Librarium.
Past.
Fernando sat opposite Ugo, his gaze fixed intently on the latter.
"You're saying that when the neophyte touched you, you felt your psychic abilities were suppressed?" Fernando inquired.
Ugo nodded silently.
"But you felt no discomfort before making full contact with him?"
"Yes, master."
Fernando pondered. By sheer ability, this resembled the traits of an Untouchable.
However, the Untouchables he had encountered or heard of were never as peculiar as this new recruit.
His thoughts drifted back to a conversation with Barasin after Ugo's duel with Hades.
"That neophyte, Hades, once received a weapon from the Emperor."
"A scythe, but it was held by a Silent Sister throughout."
Barasin gave him a knowing look.
"Fernando, you've never been good at hiding."
"You've changed since the derelict ship incident."
Fernando remained silent.
But Barasin didn't press further. "I may not understand psychic abilities, but I trust you. If you need help, come to me."
"Also, don't burden yourself too much. I've always had a contingency plan for a psychic breach in the Librarium."
"I've been monitoring the Black Ships in this sector. We can contact them anytime."
Fernando finally spoke, his voice raspy, "If..."
If this was discovered, would their legion truly be spared?
Did Barasin truly grasp the gravity of the situation, or was he merely guessing?
Fernando wasn't sure.
But he was inclined to handle this internally.
"No, thank you, Barasin."
Even if the neophyte wasn't an Untouchable, as long as he had the ability, it was possible.
He needed to act quickly before "it" grew.
He had to meet with the neophyte soon and then decide.
Perhaps it was time for a divination.
*Endurance*, Librarium.
Present.
The library, managed by the Death Guard's Librarium, was filled with countless books, including rare and ancient tomes. Millennia of wisdom rested here.
The usually bright library was now shrouded in darkness.
In the center, surrounded by bookshelves, faint white glimmers appeared.
Fernando sat in the heart of the library, in front of him a set of pitch-black tarot cards.
Around him were blood-streaked, ancient weapons: swords, bolt pistols, and meltaguns. Unlit candles were interspersed among them.
Some of these weapons had been used by previous Librarians, while others were honors bestowed by the Emperor after victories.
Golden prayers were intricately etched on the floor, radiating outwards from Fernando and an empty space opposite him.
The prayers seemed alive, constantly shifting.
Fernando closed his eyes, psychic lightning dancing around his head, forming a crown of thorns.
He had half a Terran hour before his scheduled meeting with Hades.
If Hades was an Untouchable, he couldn't be directly involved in the divination. Their presence would disrupt the connection between a psyker and the Warp.
So, Fernando chose a time and space close to his meeting with Hades, using the empty space as a placeholder.
In this universe, powerful psykers would use various methods, under the guise of prophecy, to capture psychic waves from the timeless Warp, interpreting their past, present, and future.
The Librarium would often divine before major battles, predicting outcomes.
Fernando focused, connecting with the Warp.
Bright light erupted, the prayers began to glow, and the tarot cards floated, shuffling themselves.
Three cards were drawn, representing the past, present, and future.
The cards revealed themselves, and Fernando's eyes welled with blood.
The first card, facing Fernando, was the inverted Sun, which meant Hades had the upright Sun. Their fates were intertwined.
The Sun upright symbolized hope and realization of dreams. Did this refer to Hades's role on Barbarus?
The second card was the upright Titan, representing initiative, seizing opportunities, and honesty. Perhaps Fernando should be more candid in his upcoming conversation with Hades.
The third card, symbolizing the future, was the Wheel of Fate. But its position was distorted!
Fernando had never drawn this card before, even during the most devastating battles. And now, its position was twisted!
The Wheel of Fate upright represented opportunity and change, while its inversion meant failure due to poor judgment.
The implications were vast.
Fernando was silent.
The library doors opened, and right on schedule, Hades entered.
He saw Fernando, tears of blood streaming down his face, surrounded by strange weapons.
Hades paused.
Had he come at the wrong time?
Was it too late to leave?
*Author's Note: The Emperor's Tarot is indeed from the Warhammer 40K universe, but it seems to have been introduced after the Horus Heresy. I've combined elements from the Emperor's Tarot and traditional tarot for this chapter. The "Holy Triangle" draw is indeed a real tarot method, but I've added a bit of my own touch. Enjoy reading!*