Chapter 43 - Chapter 43 – The First Test of a Son

The ancient city of Rome, once the pride of empires long gone, now stood reborn.Where crumbling ruins once lay, monolithic towers of light and reinforced stone rose. The streets shimmered with unfamiliar metals and energy veins pulsed beneath the cobblestone. Imperial banners fluttered high, etched with symbols never seen by modern man, sigils of conquest, unity, and destiny.This was no longer just Rome.It was becoming the heart of Earth, the seed of a future the world could not yet imagine.High atop a balcony, the Emperor stood, his form bathed in soft golden light. His gaze scanned the transformation below, yet his mind was fixed not on buildings—but on the being beside him.Horus.The first of his sons. Tall. Towering. His body forged by a science far beyond this primitive world. His face carried wisdom not yet lived, and in his eyes burned a fierce will.He wore a suit of armor unlike any seen on Earth. Forged from alloys brought by the Emperor, dense, seamless, and unyielding, it gleamed like polished bronze in the sunlight. Broad shoulder plates bore an emblem: a rising sun intertwined with the head of a wolf. Across his back hung the pelt of a massive black beast, its fur thick and coarse, once hunted in a dimension far beyond Earth's reach.He looked like a warrior from a legend never told."You stand upon a world ruled by chaos and cowardice," the Emperor said, voice calm but powerful. "But you are not here to destroy it."Horus turned his gaze to his creator, his father. "Then why was I born?"The Emperor looked out across the city."To redeem it."He summoned a glowing map, an aerial view of a fractured region in Eastern Europe. Markers lit up: strongholds, labor camps, battlefields. The humans who ruled there had power, but no vision. They fed on the weak."You will go alone. No armies. No Custodes. Only yourself. Not to dominate, but to liberate."Horus nodded slowly. "And if they resist?""Then break their chains… or break them."A silence fell.Then, the Emperor added something rare, something only a father could say."You are not my weapon, Horus. You are my son. I was not always a good father in another life… I will be one now."Eastern Europe – A Region at WarThe skies screamed.A massive drop pod, like a comet of metal and fire, tore through the clouds and slammed into a blackened hilltop. The earth shook. Trees snapped. Soldiers stumbled.The pod hissed—seams cracking, steam billowing out in a swirling fog.And then, through the smoke, a figure stepped out.Horus.Nine feet tall. Armor glowing faintly with unknown energy. The black pelt trailing like a cloak of death. His boots thundered with each step. In his hand: a massive warhammer, crackling faintly with pulsing light.He looked like a titan from a forgotten world.The enemy opened fire.Bullets sparked and flattened against his armor. Explosions burst around him, but he didn't flinch. He advanced through fire and death like a walking judgment.And then, he struck.Walls shattered under his hammer. Trucks flipped. Machine gun nests were turned to dust with a single blow. But he didn't kill indiscriminately, only those who preyed on the innocent. Civilians who had hidden in fear now peeked through broken doorways. Children watched with wide eyes as the golden warrior stood unmoved amidst the ruins.To the locals, he was a god.To the soldiers who surrendered, he was mercy.To the tyrants who ruled by fear, he was vengeance.By nightfall, the warlords had fled or fallen. The region was no longer under their grip. It was quiet. For the first time in years, there was peace.Rome – Reborn CapitalThe Emperor stood on the balcony once more.Rome gleamed. Towers were lit with energy not of this Earth. Roads flowed with transport systems designed to carry thousands. Already, factories built under his plans were producing tools, materials, even advanced medicine—all under the guise of an "allied innovation project" to the outside world.He felt the psychic tremor of Horus's victory."He did not disappoint," the Emperor said to himself.His eyes turned toward the stars. He could feel the echoes of the other Primarchs… waiting.But tonight, he allowed himself a rare emotion.Pride.His son had taken his first step.