Chapter 37: Unveiling the Truth

Chapter 37: Unveiling the Truth

Silvia's POV

The chamber was silent, save for the low hum of power radiating from the crystal walls. The elder Terran stood at the center, eyes locked onto Silvia, his presence commanding. Silvia had faced monsters, warriors, and ruthless corporations, but something about him sent an unfamiliar unease curling in her stomach.

"You say you want peace," the elder finally spoke, his voice deep and ancient. "Yet you carry the fire of our oppressors."

Silvia stiffened. "I didn't choose this war. I was thrown into it. But I'm choosing to end it."

The elder studied her, unreadable. "Then you must understand what you are. And what you are becoming."

Dragon shifted beside her, his expression hard. "You keep saying that, but no one's answering any questions. If she's so important, why not just tell her?"

The elder's gaze flicked to Dragon, his expression darkening. "Because knowing is not enough. She must remember."

Silvia's pulse quickened. "Remember? What does that mean?"

Without answering, the elder raised his hand, and the entire room shifted. The walls shimmered, the air grew thick, and suddenly—

Silvia was somewhere else.

Visions of the Past

She stood in a grand city before the fall, towering spires of obsidian and crystal piercing the sky. The streets bustled with life—Terrans moving in elegant harmony, their forms shifting between human and beast with seamless grace. Magic pulsed through the air, so thick it was almost tangible.

Then, the sky darkened.

Silvia turned, heart pounding as she saw them. Humans. Marching in formation, their weapons gleaming with stolen magic. The ground shook as battle cries rang out, fire and steel clashing against shadow and power. The Terrans fought, but the enemy's numbers were overwhelming.

She saw a woman—fierce, powerful, wielding fire like it was an extension of her soul. She stood at the front lines, leading the charge against the invading humans. But as Silvia's gaze locked onto her face, a realization struck her so hard it stole her breath.

The woman…

Was her.

Not a resemblance. Not a vision of someone else.

It was Silvia.

She staggered back, her mind reeling. "No. This—this isn't possible."

The scene rushed forward, flickering through memories she had never lived. A war lost. A sacrifice made. A binding placed. And then, nothing.

Until now.

She saw the council of human leaders, their faces hidden behind golden masks, their voices raised in a binding spell meant to imprison the Terrans beneath the earth forever. And at the center of it all—her past self, leading the ritual.

Her past self had made the ultimate choice—to seal her own people in order to protect them from total annihilation.

Back in the Present

Silvia gasped, tearing herself from the vision, her knees buckling. Dragon caught her, his grip strong, steady.

"Silvia! What happened?"

She sucked in a breath, her heart hammering. "I… I was there. I fought in the war. I led the Terrans. I—" She swallowed. "I was one of them."

Tarren's voice was quiet but sharp. "You're saying you're a reincarnation?"

The elder nodded. "Not just any reincarnation. You were the last of our greatest warriors. And you were the one who sealed us away."

The words hit like a thunderclap. Silvia's world tilted. She had spent her life fighting against the Terrans—only to learn she had once been one of them. Worse…

She was the reason they were sealed.

Dragon exhaled, shaking his head. "That explains why she's so strong. Why she bonded with me. Her magic is Terran-born."

Silvia barely heard him. Her mind was a storm. "If I sealed the Terrans away… then I was the enemy."

The elder's eyes pierced into her. "No. You were our protector. But you made a choice that cost us everything. Now, you must choose again."

Silvia clenched her fists. She had spent so long searching for the truth. Now that she had it… she wasn't sure she could bear its weight.

The Burden of the Past

The chamber was still, but the weight of the revelation pressed down on her like a mountain. What had she done? What kind of person had she been in her past life? The humans she had trusted had betrayed the Terrans—but had her decision made things worse?

"Why would I seal my own people?" Silvia whispered, her voice hollow.

The elder's gaze softened, but only slightly. "Because you saw no other way. You believed that sealing us away was better than extinction. You trusted that one day, the cycle would be broken. And now, here you stand."

Dragon's voice was quieter than usual. "So, what happens now?"

Silvia lifted her head. "We stop this war. We find a way to fix what I did. I won't make the same mistake twice."

Tarren exhaled. "You really think the world will just listen? The people in power won't just let this happen. They'll come after us."

Silvia turned to the elder. "You knew this day would come. Do we have allies? Other Terrans who want peace?"

The elder nodded. "There are those who will follow you. But there are also those who will resist."

Silvia squared her shoulders. "Then we start with those who will listen. And we prepare for those who won't."

Dragon grinned, though there was something sharp and dangerous beneath it. "Finally, a plan that doesn't involve you nearly dying."

Silvia smirked. "No promises."

For the first time, she felt the weight of her past, not as a burden—but as a challenge.

A New Trial

The elder extended a hand toward her. "Before you can lead, you must prove yourself. There is one more trial you must face."

Silvia narrowed her eyes. "Trial?"

"A test of your magic, your will, and your right to claim this path. If you truly wish to undo what was done, you must first overcome the guardian of our past. Only then will you be accepted as the bridge between our worlds."

A doorway of swirling blue energy appeared at the far side of the chamber, pulsing with an ominous presence. Silvia took a breath, glancing at Dragon and Tarren.

Dragon smirked. "Well, guess we're not getting a break, huh?"

Silvia stepped forward, determination in her eyes. "No. But we're not turning back now."

With that, she walked through the portal, ready to face whatever awaited her.