Chapter 50: Secrets of the Past

The garden was quiet, too quiet for my liking. The cool night air carried an eerie silence, interrupted only by the distant rustling of leaves in the wind. Riona and I stood facing one another, the weight of her words hanging between us like a thick fog. My heart raced in anticipation of what was to come. She had promised to tell me everything—everything that had been hidden from me, from the world. The moment felt like it could shift the very foundation of my understanding of the world.

Riona took a slow, deliberate step closer, her eyes scanning the surroundings once more, as if making sure no one was eavesdropping. Her usual air of control had faltered, replaced by a more solemn demeanor. I waited, my arms crossed, refusing to give any outward sign of impatience. I wanted to know the truth, but the way she carried herself made it clear that this wasn't going to be easy to hear.

"You know," she began, her voice low, "the academy is not just a place for the strongest or the brightest. It's a stage—an arena where the world's most powerful play out their plans in the open. And we, the students, are caught in the middle of it all."

I studied her, intrigued but cautious. "What do you mean by that?"

Riona's gaze turned distant for a moment, her expression softening as though remembering something far older, something far more dangerous. "The royals—the kings and queens of each race—they aren't as invincible as they appear. Even they have their masters. Some of those masters are beyond what you could ever imagine. And your mother, Gaia, the Goddess of Nature—she's been protecting you from it all. But that protection is fading."

I didn't flinch at her words, even though a part of me wanted to. To speak of Gaia in such a way felt almost sacrilegious, yet I knew Riona wasn't here to insult my mother. She was here to warn me, to pull back the curtain that had long kept me in the shadows of ignorance.

"What protection? What do you mean?" I asked, my voice tinged with both curiosity and a growing sense of unease.

Riona took a deep breath and then, almost reluctantly, began to speak. "The SSS-Rank kings and queens of each race were not always the highest power. The first rulers were chosen by the gods, but there is a darker force that exists outside of the realms of power—something older, something that predates even the gods themselves. They are called the Arisen, and they are said to be the true rulers of this world."

I furrowed my brow, trying to make sense of her words. "The Arisen? I've never heard of them."

Riona nodded. "That's because the Arisen have been hiding in plain sight. Over the centuries, they've manipulated the rulers, pulled the strings of the kingdoms, and shaped the course of history. Every major event that has occurred—the rise of new kingdoms, the fall of old ones—has been influenced by them."

"But why doesn't anyone know about them?" I asked, my voice filled with skepticism.

"Because they control knowledge," Riona replied. "The Arisen have infiltrated the highest levels of power. They've made sure that their influence is concealed, that history is rewritten to favor them. Only a select few, like Gaia, know the truth. And even Gaia has been kept in the dark about many things."

My stomach churned. This wasn't just politics; this was something far more dangerous, something far more insidious. It felt like the ground beneath me was shifting, crumbling beneath the weight of a truth that I wasn't sure I could handle.

"And what does this have to do with me?" I asked, my voice a little quieter now.

Riona hesitated, her eyes darkening. "You are the key. You were born for a purpose. Your power—your unique ability to control both light and nature—was not just a gift from Gaia. It's something much older. Your bloodline connects you to the Arisen. You are both their enemy and their weapon."

I stumbled back a step, my heart pounding in my chest. "What do you mean, I'm connected to them?"

Riona's expression softened, her gaze sympathetic. "You don't remember it, but your past—the life you lived before you came to this world—it's part of what they've been searching for. You are not simply a demi-goddess. You are the reincarnation of a being who once wielded immense power, power that rivaled even the gods themselves."

I shook my head, disbelief flooding my senses. "This is too much. You're telling me I'm not just an elf princess? That my whole life has been a lie?"

Riona's face darkened as she nodded. "Yes, but not entirely. You were born here, yes, but your soul is older. Much older. And it's tied to a world long forgotten—a world where the Arisen ruled unchallenged."

My breath caught in my throat. "So, what does that mean for me now? What am I supposed to do with all of this?"

"You're already involved, whether you want to be or not," Riona said, stepping closer. "Your power has awakened, and the Arisen will come for you. They will try to use you, twist your abilities to their will. But you can't let them. The only way to stop them is to reclaim the power you once held, to take control of your own fate."

I was silent for a long moment, the weight of her words pressing on my chest like a physical force. It felt like the world around me had been turned upside down, like I had been living in a dream that was now shattering. Everything I knew, everything I believed about myself, was suddenly in question.

But even as the confusion swirled in my mind, I knew one thing for certain: I couldn't let the Arisen have control. I couldn't let them use me or anyone else. I was done being a pawn in someone else's game.

"So, what do I do now?" I asked, my voice firm.

Riona's lips curled into a small smile, though there was no joy in it. "Now, you prepare. You train. You grow stronger, faster, and smarter. And when the time comes, you'll have to decide whether you want to protect this world—or destroy it."

I nodded, a resolve hardening in my chest. There was no turning back now. The path ahead of me was fraught with danger, but I would not run from it. I would fight, even if I had to face the Arisen themselves.

As I stood there, in the moonlit garden, the weight of the knowledge Riona had shared with me settled deep within me. My journey had just begun, and there was no going back.

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