Although Atreus had ignored what surrounded him, the other Space Marines did not do the same.
The surrounding Astartes all turned their gaze toward their leader after he had revealed the identity of the boy engaged in a fierce battle against the Catachan Devil.
They all suspected that their leader had recently grown much closer to the Dark Mechanicus, but the idea that he had sought their help to give birth to a child was an unexpected surprise for them.
"Lord Atreus, can you tell us more about this 'son'?" asked Grey while alternating his gaze between Loki's fight and Atreus.
Usually, the members of Atreus's warband were not the type to question their leader's decisions.
The rare exceptions concerned subjects likely to influence the future of their group.
Loki's case was therefore important enough to sow doubt in the hearts of several of his battle-brothers.
"It's time to announce part of my experiments," thought Atreus while observing the mixed reactions in the meeting room.
The other Astartes said nothing, but their curiosity was clearly visible in their eyes.
Atreus had to clarify the situation to avoid any misunderstanding.
In any case, the information concerning Loki could not remain hidden forever from the members of the warband.
He had to talk about it, if only for the sake of the young boy's psychic growth through his Trust.
"You are all aware of my awakening as a psyker, aren't you?" he declared in a calm tone.
Grey nodded in response.
No expression of disgust appeared on his face at the mention of the term psyker, nor on those of his companions.
Unlike Primarch Dorn and his sons, Atreus's genetic father possessed a much more nuanced view regarding psykers.
Perturabo did not fully approve of the esoteric arts linked to psykers. Indeed, the Primarch of the Iron Warriors was among the rare sons of the Emperor to view the world with cold rationality.
He had never hesitated to use every available tool to achieve maximum efficiency during the conquests of the Great Crusade era.
Perturabo was a pragmatist in his way of seeing things.
A trait shared by a large part of his Legion, including a certain loyalist: Barabas Dantioch.
The Astartes had opposed the Imperial Truth by studying xenos technology, even though such practices were forbidden by the agreements concluded between Terra and Mars.
However, Guilliman and Dantioch disregarded this prohibition during the tragedy that was the Horus Heresy.
Under the orders of the lord of Ultramar, the Iron Warrior studied the xenos technology known as the Pharos and unraveled enough of its secrets to contribute to the salvation of Terra.
"So, I'll get straight to the point," declared Atreus while using the Immaterium without the slightest difficulty.
There was no spectacular explosion.
No warning sign betrayed the imminent use of psychic power.
From an outside perspective, Atreus had simply raised his hand toward the control panel before it began to react, as if an invisible force was manipulating it.
The broadcast of Loki's fight was interrupted.
The screen displayed a new scene.
"Mommy! I-I can't do it!!" screamed a young boy at the top of his lungs while a storm of warp energy chaotically surrounded him.
The air itself seemed to vibrate.
The surroundings were battered by this power from the Immaterium.
The ground cracked under his feet, and the small dead animal nearby slowly began to disintegrate into dust under the psychic pressure.
This situation only amplified the child's negative emotions, further fueling the violence of his outburst.
Faced with this catastrophic event, a woman dressed in sober attire stood before him.
She is the warband's chronicler: Olivia Polus.
"Don't be afraid… Mommy is here," she said in a voice filled with infinite love for her child.
Yet, she could not help but grimace slightly because of the injuries caused by the psychic power emitted by Loki.
Normally, any individual would have instinctively distanced themselves from such a living bomb.
But not Olivia.
She took the initiative to approach him.
A senseless decision.
But one that ultimately proved right.
Olivia was wounded with every step she took toward Loki, but she held back her groans of pain so as not to worsen her son's mental state.
Where did she draw such strength from?
No one could say.
However, this determination gradually calmed the situation.
Once Loki was taken into his mother's arms, he fell asleep almost immediately.
The video stopped at the moment the woman turned her eyes toward the camera lens, striking it with a look full of reproach.
It was obvious that the child's psychic outburst had been deliberately provoked as part of an experiment.
The death of the small animal had been nothing more than a necessary sacrifice.
"This brat… is he an Epsilon-level psyker?" asked the old captain, frowning at his superior.
Psykers.
They constitute a sub-branch of the human race that has developed sensitivity to the energies of the Immaterium.
This particularity allows them to alter reality according to the nature of their powers.
However, it is not uncommon for them to accidentally cause a daemonic incursion.
These tragedies become even more frequent when their immense potential remains mixed with the ignorance imposed by living conditions within the Imperium.
The level of destruction caused by Loki during his psychic outburst could indeed correspond to the Epsilon rank.
A real danger for the world of Limnos III.
And yet, Atreus had chosen to hide his existence.
This was not simply a young psyker, but a potential risk for the very future of the warband.
"Barabas's common sense prevents him from perceiving Loki's true value," thought Atreus while observing the veteran Astartes.
It was true that Loki could barely be considered an Epsilon-level psyker.
However, this element did not summarize either his true value or his real potential.
After all, he was still just a child.
"Did you only see his power? You too?" asked Atreus while sweeping his gaze across each member of his inner circle.
No one showed the slightest sign of enthusiasm.
In their eyes, the danger represented by Loki's psychic power largely eclipsed the benefits that an investment in him could bring.
Thus, Grey finally spoke up to remind them of the risks linked to raising such a powerful psyker.
"Lord Atreus, I know that you are now a psyker and that you have proven to all our brothers present here your immense mastery of the Warp. But… this kid does not necessarily possess your talent," he said, taking care not to offend his superior.
The other Space Marines silently nodded at Grey's words.
They all trusted Atreus.
However, raising a psyker of such power without any real safety guarantee was pure madness.
This was not a reaction dictated by superstition, like that of the Imperial Cult, but by cold logic.
If Atreus wanted to ensure Loki's future, he had to convince his brothers here and now.
Fortunately, he had a strong argument.
"Sigh… You are all focused on his power. This kid…" Atreus paused as a smile filled with confidence slowly formed on his face. "…simply cannot be influenced by the Immaterium."
Various reactions greeted Atreus's declaration.
However, the one that dominated all others was doubt.
An inevitable reaction.
After all, the notion of "incorruptible" remained almost unknown in the current galaxy.
The Grey Knights operated in the greatest secrecy, and the era of the Great Rift had not yet begun.
"This danger must be purged, my Lord."
"We must take no risks. I understand that he is your son, but his psychic potential is far too high to be raised among us."
"Couldn't we entrust him to the Dark Mechanicus in exchange for military reinforcement?"
Bam!
While proposals and doubts multiplied in the room, Atreus pulverized the table in front of him with a single punch, delivered without the slightest wind-up.
Silence fell immediately.
"My brothers… oh, my brothers. When have I ever failed you?" asked Atreus while letting his gaze wander over each of the Astartes present.
Unconsciously, his eyes shone with a silver glow, psychic energy boiling within him in response to his companions' words.
"Have I led you out from under our father's yoke only to destroy everything we have built on a simple whim?" he continued while observing their expressions.
He slowly rose from his seat before walking to the immense bay window overlooking space.
"Trust me. I have never disappointed you, unlike our father. And above all… I will never lie to you," he declared without flinching.
Atreus raised his eyes toward the stars.
"We will never be able to seize the Maelstrom sector with only a few Space Marines, nor do we plan to keep it indefinitely under our reign. We must create a new generation of Astartes… and Loki may be the key to this evolution. So, do not bet on this child… bet on me."
The Astartes present briefly exchanged a glance.
Then, one after another, they rose from their seats and performed a military salute in Atreus's direction.
They did not need a long speech.
This salute was enough to reaffirm their unwavering loyalty to their lord.
"Yes… I must try to create my own version of the Primaris Space Marines. Loki will be the core of this new generation," he thought while extending his consciousness over Limnos III.
There, the young boy was already entering the final phase of his fight against the Catachan Devil.