#dstm

Whilst I do put Ahriman through a lot of pain in my fics, I decided to get the torture over and done with this chapter. The torture isn't the point of the story, that's the bond between brothers. Therefore there's enough information to show what Ahriman has been through, and why he's in such a ruined state, but we don't need all the horrible details.

Due to the fact Ahriman suffers a lot in my other stories, (in the popular of which, he's human and a lot squishier), I decided to show that he has all the resilience and endurance expected of an astartes. It's only when the Sisters of Silence get involved that the torture starts to have any real impact. Ahriman knows astartes-on-astartes violence by this point. The Space Wolves can't do anymore to him.

Naturally what hurts most of all is his own personal trauma. Which is why he thinks the dream state Ohrmuzd pulls him into is another form of torture. It says something for the strength of astartes that it isn't pain that finally breaks Ahriman, it's kindness. It's having all he ever wanted put before him. And whilst it is true, he's been through too much to believe it.

Regarding their childhood bedroom. Ahzek and Ohrmuzd likely had their own individual bedrooms at one point. However Ahzek had so many 'nightmares' he would always end up in Ohrmuzd's bed. If he was going to be there anyway, it was just easiest to put them in the same room. I imagine his burgeoning visions of the future made Ahzek terrified to sleep, thus the scented oils and close proximity to his brother.