Chapter 130: The Ancient Race

"We have been waiting for you." The golden-eyed leader’s words lingered in the evening air, long after the surrounding forest returned to its gentle rhythm.

Raviah studied the unfamiliar figure standing before them, searching for an explanation in those luminous eyes. "Who are you? And how do you know what I am?"

The leader straightened her back, her glowing markings casting a faint light on her expression. "My name is Elyndra. I am the Keeper of Memories for the Eldergrove civilization."

Elias immediately raised his handheld scanner to record the phenomenon. However, the device screen flickered erratically as soon as he attempted to capture the surrounding energy.

Elyndra glanced at the malfunctioning machine without concern. "Your instruments cannot preserve everything you encounter here. Some memories are carried through living energy rather than physical records."

"That sounds remarkably convenient," Rhyder remarked, his hand resting near his weapon as he stood beside Raviah. "We would prefer verifiable answers."

A faint smile crossed Elyndra’s face. "Your caution is understandable, General Drakeheir. Your kind has only recently begun to perceive the world as it truly is."

Rhyder’s jaw tightened. "You know my name, too?"

"We know the names of those who stand beside the Source-Bearer," she replied smoothly.

Raviah stepped forward before Rhyder could press the matter further. "You called me the Source-Bearer. You recognized my root, and your entire forest responded to my presence. I want to know why."

Elyndra turned toward the settlement’s central structure, a towering tree whose enormous trunk pulsed with luminous crystalline veins. "Then you must hear the history of our people."

She gestured for the delegation to follow her toward the heart of the village. Rhyder hesitated, but Raviah offered him a quiet nod of reassurance. After exchanging cautious glances, the soldiers fell into formation behind them.

As dusk settled, the forest civilization illuminated itself. Golden light emerged from crystalline monoliths, spreading warmth through the thick branches and suspended walkways.

The inhabitants gathered along the central platform, their glowing markings shimmering in harmony with the woodland ecosystem.

At the center stood a massive circular stone table. Its surface was carved with layers of intricate symbols that shifted whenever Elyndra pressed her palm against the rim.

The surrounding air shimmered with energy. A vibrant holographic image unfolded above the stone surface, depicting a lush, untouched planet beneath an unfamiliar blue sky.

"This is Earth," Elyndra explained, gesturing toward the rotating image. "But it is not the Earth your ancestors knew."

Raviah leaned closer, her eyes tracing the map. The continents appeared vastly different, their coastlines reshaped by ancient geological forces. Dense, towering forests covered lands that were now barren deserts, while colossal crystalline structures rose from the oceans.

Figures moved across the projected landscape. Though humanoid, their bodies possessed natural luminous markings and strange crystalline growths beneath their skin. Some walked alongside massive beasts, while others directed streams of natural energy directly through the soil.

"These were our ancestors," Elyndra said. "They walked this planet long before modern humanity emerged."

Elias peered at the glowing figures, his eyes wide with fascination. "How long ago?"

"Your measurements of time are insufficient to describe our entire history," Elyndra answered. "Civilizations rose and disappeared before your species even developed written language."

The projection suddenly shifted, darkening the sky. Brilliant veins of energy erupted beneath the continents, tearing through forests, oceans, and mountain ranges. The atmosphere turned a harsh crimson, and terrifying new organisms emerged from the altered soil.

Raviah recognized the energy pattern instantly. "The Primordial Source."

Elyndra inclined her head. "Yes. The Source awakens, and the world enters a new evolutionary phase."

She gestured toward the chaotic scenes unfolding in the light. "Existing life changes. New species emerge. The balance of energy shifts until the planet can no longer sustain its previous order."

The projection depicted ancient cities crumbling beneath violent elemental storms. Some inhabitants adapted to the surge, their bodies developing powerful elemental abilities.

Others retreated into deep underground sanctuaries, where crystalline networks continued to glow while the surface burned.

"Your ancestors survived?" Rhyder asked, looking around the living village.

"Some did. Many did not," Elyndra replied, her voice dropping to a softer tone.

"Our civilization learned to live in harmony with the planet’s energy rather than attempting to dominate it," she continued. "When the transformation reached its most destructive stage, our ancestors withdrew into protected regions and preserved their knowledge through living networks."

The hologram settled on a vast forest under a crimson sky. Enormous trees stretched upward, their roots intertwined with crystalline structures extending deep into the earth.

Raviah felt her core thrum in response, reacting to the image above the table. The scene closely resembled the transformed forest around them, yet its energy felt far more stable and refined.

"Your abilities come from this connection," Raviah murmured.

"Correct," Elyndra said. "Your Elementals cultivate power within individual roots. We cultivate resonance between ourselves and the living world."

She paused, looking directly at Raviah. "Our strength depends not only on what we possess but also on what we can understand and harmonize with."

Elias tapped rapidly on his tablet, recording every word. "Then your civilization evolved alongside the planetary energy system."

"Across many cycles," Elyndra answered.

Raviah went still at the phrasing. "Many cycles?"

Elyndra lifted her hand, causing the hologram to display a rapid sequence of distinct worlds. Each image showed green lands thriving, then glowing with elemental energy, and finally transforming beyond recognition.

Every single world followed the same progression. Awakening, evolution, collapse, and survival.

"The Primordial Source has awakened on Earth before," Elyndra revealed. "Our ancestors witnessed transformations that reshaped the planet, destroyed civilizations, and gave rise to species unknown to your history."

The final image projected the ancient world beneath a crimson sky, covered entirely in crystalline forests.

Raviah’s heart hammered against her ribs. She thought back to the underground facility, the preserved memories of the woman bearing her face, and the warning that the Source had awakened again.

None of those discoveries were isolated events. They were fragments of a grand history far older than humanity itself.

"You believe this apocalypse is the beginning of something unprecedented," Elyndra said, her golden eyes reflecting the soft light.

She paused, letting the silence stretch through the clearing. "But our ancestors have seen this transformation before."

With a sweep of her arm, the hologram vanished, leaving the platform bathed in a warm golden glow.

Elyndra looked around at the delegation before fixing her gaze on Raviah. "Earth has undergone this transformation before, Source-Bearer, and every previous cycle came at a terrible price."