Warhammer 40k:The Lone Star

Prologue: The Fall of a Father

**POV: Leonid**

**Location: Monastery**

Leonid awoke with a sharp gasp, his body drenched in cold sweat. His small hands trembled as he pressed them against his chest, feeling the rapid thud of his heartbeat. The dim candlelight of the monastery flickered around him, casting long shadows against the stone walls.

The vision—no, the encounter—still lingered in his mind. The Emperor of Mankind had stood before him, His gaze burning like the sun, His words filled with both wisdom and anger.

*"I am no god."*

Leon swallowed hard. He had always prayed to the Emperor, believed in Him as humanity's ultimate protector. Yet, in that brief moment, he had glimpsed something different—not a god, but a being beyond human comprehension. A being who had rejected divinity yet had been forced to bear it.

The weight of that knowledge settled deep in his young mind, too vast to fully grasp.

A bell tolled, its heavy chime shattering the silence.

Leon shot to his feet, his pulse quickening. He ran toward the entrance, his small legs struggling to keep up with the growing sense of dread gnawing at his stomach.

---

Outside, the lower hive was in chaos. Smoke choked the air, and distant screams echoed through the winding streets. The sickly glow of malfunctioning hive lights flickered overhead, casting the world into an eerie twilight.

His father stood waiting, a worn pack slung over his shoulder. His normally kind eyes were hardened with urgency.

"Father… what's happening?" Leon's voice was barely above a whisper.

Mr. Varkas knelt, gripping his son's shoulders firmly. "We're leaving. Now."

Leon hesitated. "But… what about the others?"

His father's jaw tightened. "I have to keep you safe. That comes first."

A heavy hand clamped onto Mr. Varkas' shoulder.

Sir Jacob.

"The hive is falling apart. You won't make it far. At least stay until we have a plan."

"No," Mr. Varkas said, shaking his head. "I need to get Leon out before it's too late."

Sir Jacob sighed, frustration evident, but he didn't argue. Instead, he reached into his coat and pulled out a battered laspistol.

"It's not much, but it's better than nothing." He pressed it into Mr. Varkas' hand.

The older man hesitated, then nodded. "Thank you, old friend."

Leon wanted to protest, wanted to say something—but his father had already taken his hand, pulling him into the depths of the hive.

---

The lower levels had always been dangerous, but this was different.

Shadows moved unnaturally, stretching as if reaching for them. The air was thick with the stench of rust and decay. The few people they passed were running in the opposite direction, their eyes filled with terror.

Leon felt it before he saw it.

An unseen weight pressed against his chest, as if something was watching him.

"Father… something's wrong," he whispered.

Mr. Varkas squeezed his hand reassuringly. "Keep moving."

But the feeling wouldn't go away.

They turned into an abandoned marketplace, the stalls long since ransacked and left to rot.

A chill ran down Leon's spine.

The shadows ahead shifted.

A figure emerged.

At first, it looked like a man, tall and wrapped in darkness. Then its form twisted—limbs stretching and recoiling, flesh shifting like liquid. Its eyes—if they could be called that—were nothing but glowing red slits, burning with inhuman hunger.

A daemon.

Leon froze.

His father stepped forward, pulling him behind his back.

The creature tilted its head, its mouth splitting into a grotesque grin. When it spoke, its voice was a chorus of whispers and screams.

*"He sees you, little spark. He sees you."*

Leon's stomach turned. He didn't understand the words, but they felt wrong.

Then, without warning, the daemon lunged.

Lasfire erupted.

Mr. Varkas fired desperately, the bolts slamming into the creature's shifting body. The daemon snarled, its form rippling but unhurt.

Then it moved.

Faster than Leon could follow, the daemon struck. Mr. Varkas was thrown against a rusted metal pillar. The lasgun flew out of his hands, blood splattering across the ground.

Leon screamed.

His father staggered but did not fall. Gritting his teeth, he pushed himself forward, pulling a combat knife from his belt.

He charged.

The daemon laughed.

Mr. Varkas slashed. The blade sank into its flesh, dark ichor spilling onto the ground. The creature hissed in anger—but it wasn't enough.

With an inhuman snarl, the daemon impaled him.

Leon's world shattered.

His father gasped, blood spilling from his mouth as he was lifted off the ground. His hands trembled against the daemon's claws, but he did not scream.

Instead, he turned his head to Leon—his eyes still filled with warmth.

"Leon…" he choked. "Remember… kindness is strength."

Then the daemon tore him apart from the waist, his upper body hanging on the creature's claws.

Leon's mind went blank.

The world slowed.

The daemon turned to him, its red eyes filled with satisfaction.

Then—

*Crunch* *Splash*

Leon watched as the creature devoured his father.

His father's head, still inside its mouth, stared at him.

Then, with another crunch, he was gone.

Leon sat there, his expression blank, his mind unable to comprehend what had just happened.

Then something happened.

A burning pain erupted on Leon's wrist.

A symbol glowed—faint at first, then blazing with golden light. It was unlike anything he had ever seen, both holy and unnatural, flickering like a dying star.

The daemon recoiled, hissing.

Leon didn't know what was happening. He only knew it was afraid.

Something inside him shifted.

Then—

A chainsword roared to life.

Sir Jacob charged, his blade slashing through the daemon's corrupted flesh. The creature howled, its form writhing in pain.

It retreated into the shadows, its final words a whisper.

*"The void watches, little spark. It will find you again."*

Then it was gone.

Sir Jacob turned, his breath heavy—then froze.

Leon stood there, staring at his father's lower half.

He did not cry.

He did not scream.

He only stood, clutching his father's pendant, his small frame unnaturally still.

Sir Jacob swallowed hard.

"Come, child," he murmured, kneeling beside him. "We need to go."

Leon said nothing.

But as Sir Jacob carried him away, a fire burned behind his eyes.

---

As the hive burned behind them, Sir Jacob made a silent vow.

*"I will not fail you, Varkas. I will ensure your son finds his path."*

Leon did not respond.

But deep inside, something had changed forever.

And the Emperor's words echoed in his mind.

*"The stars shine brightest in darkness, but even stars are swallowed by the void if they stand alone."*

---