Alpharius POV
When I opened my eyes, I saw a golden, shimmering entity. He lifted me from the scorching grit and wrapped me in a modest robe.
He brought me back to his dwelling, raised me, and taught me.
Those who resembled him called him the "Emperor."
Although the Emperor looked like them, and I looked like them, I knew we were fundamentally different.
He told me to call him "Father," signifying the filial relationship of the "human" race, a sacred blood tie.
As I inherited his genes, I was supposed to call him Father.
Thus, I called the Emperor Father, establishing our relationship.
Emperor Father gave me a name—Alpharius.
Alpharius, son of the Emperor, one of the twenty-one Primarchs.
"You have twenty brothers." When I heard this news from Father, my heart rejoiced, proving that I was not alone among "humans."
As a son of the Emperor—a Primarch—I moved freely within the palace under construction, exploring its magnificent architecture at will.
I was born with a passion for exploration, seeking surprises buried in the shadows and secrets wrapped in layers of darkness.
But I also had my own secrets.
For some unknown reason, I felt incomplete, with a void deep within my heart.
It was so empty, desperately longing to be filled.
I did not know how to fill the void, which made me even more desperate, needing everything that could satisfy my self to fill it.
Secrets were one of the things that filled the void.
As my knowledge grew, my body developed rapidly, and I also comprehended many unusual talents.
To a certain extent, I could change my body shape and appearance, disguising myself as others.
According to Malcador, this was a gift from the Emperor, unique in the universe.
Who was Malcador?
An immortal old man, looking dry and withered, always wearing a sackcloth robe and holding a burning Aquila scepter.
Do not let his frail appearance fool you; that was Malcador's disguise, a respected Elder image to gain deference.
He was powerful, possessing strong psychic abilities, profound wisdom, and many secrets.
Emperor Father made Malcador my teacher, and he indeed taught me many things.
I was molded into the image the Emperor desired, becoming a "Keeper of Secrets" who cared not for vanity, renounced ordinary glory, and kept secrets.
Compared to a "Keeper of Secrets," I preferred to be a "Seeker of Secrets."
But I, Alpharius, could not disobey Father, so I became a Keeper of Secrets.
During my days on Terra, I never revealed my true form to others; only a few knew of Alpharius' existence.
Constantin Valdor was one, and so were his Custodian Guard subordinates.
They were Emperor Father's bodyguards, responsible for protecting the Emperor.
Though I racked my brain, I could not understand why a powerful, god-like entity needed a group of weaker individuals to protect him.
Their protection was full of holes, yet they still performed their duties.
And I, Alpharius, would one day give the Custodian Guard a profound lesson.
What was even more annoying about the Custodian Guard was that they always blocked my path of exploration, preventing me from digging deeper into the secrets of the human homeworld.
As a Primarch, I grew very quickly, taller and stronger than anyone else.
I still used my talent to hide myself, concealing myself beneath the mundane, learning and observing human knowledge.
Through Malcador's teachings, I increasingly understood the mission for which the Primarchs were created.
I participated in wars, donned heavy armor, and fought against Terran warlords disguised as various identities.
I witnessed the ferocity of the Thunder Warriors, fought alongside them, and foresaw their tragic fate.
I also personally saw the first "Death Angel" rise, and my brother's gene-sons formed a Legion, becoming new blades of the Emperor.
I participated in the purging of the Thunder Warriors and once glimpsed the secrets of the Doom Slayers.
All major events on Terra were witnessed firsthand, and some were even personally experienced.
Then came the Great Crusade. My gene-sons went incognito, mixing into various Legions to act as ears and eyes.
Or they boarded stealth warships, heading to various worlds in advance, active behind enemy lines to gather intelligence.
My Legion received no honors, but my sons participated in all the honors of all Legions.
The Twentieth Legion, like me, hid in the most concealed places, doing the most concealed things.
The Great Crusade continued to advance. On a world called "Cthonia," the Adeptus Mechanicus found a lost brother and brought him back to Terra.
At that time, I stood beside Father, disguised as a Custodian Guard, and witnessed my brother's return with my own eyes.
Horus Lupercal. I remembered the name of my blood brother.
He became the "First Primarch" to openly return to the Imperium, staying openly by Father's side, allowing the Luna Wolves to enjoy the envy of other Legions.
I scoffed at this, even feeling a little pity for my brother.
Horus Lupercal lived in a lie, a lie woven for him by Emperor Father.
He was not the true "First Son Returned"; Alpharius was, and I had never even left Terra.
I pitied this brother, who was smug but ignorant of the truth. Horus followed the Emperor day in and day out, learning the knowledge of the Imperium, eager to gain Father's approval and love.
To gain Father's recognition, he worked tirelessly every day, striving to do his best.
Poor Horus, overwhelmed by a flood of documents, chose to shave his head and connect brain-machine interfaces to handle affairs.
Seeing my brother so exhausted, I could not bear it.
So I ordered my sons to intensify their search for other brothers during the Great Crusade.
We had to find the other brothers soon to relieve Horus' pressure and share a portion of the "love" from Emperor Father.
Well, I actually had selfish motives.
I especially wanted to see the splendid expression on Horus' face when another brother was found.
As my sons searched relentlessly, an individual highly suspected of being a Primarch was discovered on a death world named "Fenris."
I could not wait and boarded a spaceship to Fenris to confirm the individual's identity.
After a period of investigation, I was certain that the barbarian named "Leman Russ" was my brother.
Although Leman Russ' appearance was unexpected, he was indeed my blood brother.
With anticipation, I had my sons notify Terra, asking Father to come and claim my brother.
But an accident happened.
As the Emperor prepared to come to Fenris, another of my brothers found his way home from the void.
He returned resiliently, alone from the vast star-sea.
Honestly, I admired that brother from the bottom of my heart; he returned from the void by his own power.
I deeply regretted why I was not on Terra at that time, to enjoy Horus' indescribable expression.
I guessed he must have been conflicted, unwilling to part with Father's paternal love, yet forced to set an example as the First Son Returned, magnanimously accepting the returning brother.
Helplessly, I parked my spaceship in Fenris' orbit, awaiting the arrival of Father and my brother.
During this time, a fast ship from the Twentieth Legion brought me an image: Father welcoming the Twenty-First Legion.
Blazkowicz Novick—Warrior King, Doom Slayer, Master of the Nur Stars.
The aura around my brother's head deeply impressed me; he had accomplished a feat in the void, reuniting shattered civilizations.
His power made Mars tremble, forcing it to yield more benefits to the Imperium.
The Emperor granted Blazkowicz equality, rather than placing him beneath the Imperium, which was a great recognition.
At the same time, I also observed Horus' shifting expression, laughing heartily in his private room on the battleship.
Waiting with excitement, my Legion's sons wore Fifth Legion power armor, and I, mixed among them, boarded the Emperor's Dream.
In the gilded palace of the spaceship, I saw my heroic and extraordinary brother, even more impressive than in the image.
His gaze swept through the crowd, and I felt that Blazkowicz saw through me.
Despite being a fleeting glance, I remembered my distinguished brother, left the Emperor's Dream, and embarked on the Great Crusade.
The Legion's crusade was clandestine; the Twentieth Legion excelled at acquiring intelligence, engaging in asymmetrical warfare, and silently conquering world after world.
Coincidentally, the reclusive nature of Moribus Solas, Lord of the Second Legion, piqued my interest, and I seamlessly infiltrated the Second Legion for a secret investigation.
This incongruous brother, after fighting alongside Horus, rushed non-stop to the Morse Solar System.
There was another battlefield, where Blazkowicz Novick led a large army to fight against the Rangdan.
The Morse Solar System was littered with debris, and I surprisingly discovered the Space Wolves' fleet; those battle-scarred warships immediately made me understand the brutal war my brother had experienced.
At a garden banquet on Blazkowicz's flagship, a handmaiden poured me wine, and the hidden message in the cup shocked me.
It turned out that the kingly brother had long seen through my disguise.