Chapter 136: The Sunken Civilization

Night descended over the Ocean Planet. Beneath its luminous waters, darkness had never truly existed.

Rhaevia stood inside a transparent transport chamber as the Leviathan guided their vessel toward the depths. Beyond the reinforced glass, enormous crystalline structures glowed beneath the ocean floor, illuminating a civilization that had survived in isolation for thousands of years.

Raevor stood beside her. His silver Sentinel energy formed a thin protective layer around the chamber.

“How many inhabitants?” he asked, his deep voice cutting through the sound of the vessel.

“Project Genesis is still processing the readings,” Rhaevia replied, studying the distant city with focused intensity. “At least several thousand, possibly more, considering how much of the settlement remains hidden beneath the geological formations.”

The Leviathan’s consciousness brushed against hers again. The message echoed softly inside her mind.

The city has waited.

The telepathic message carried exhaustion, grief, and a trace of hope.

Rhaevia placed her palm against the glass. “Then let us meet the people you have protected.”

The transport chamber descended smoothly through an enormous opening in the ocean floor. As they approached, a transparent barrier expanded around the vessel, separating the surrounding water from the city’s central entrance.

Their transport passed through the barrier and settled onto a platform illuminated by golden crystals. The doors opened with a soft hiss. Rhaevia stepped onto unfamiliar ground, taking in the cool air of the subterranean haven.

The city was far more magnificent than the drone footage had suggested. Towering domes rose above broad avenues, while translucent bridges connected buildings carved directly into the surrounding mineral walls.

Streams of luminous energy flowed through channels beneath the streets, sustaining both the city’s infrastructure and the protective barrier surrounding it.

Humanoid figures gathered along the entrance. Their bodies appeared mostly human, but faint crystalline markings shimmered beneath their skin. Their eyes reflected the city’s golden light, and several carried devices resembling Sovereign-era weapons.

A tall woman approached the delegation, accompanied by two stern guards. She wore a long, dark garment decorated with silver patterns. Unlike the others, her forehead bore a golden symbol resembling the ancient authorization marks in Project Genesis.

Her gaze settled firmly on Rhaevia. “You answered the guardian’s call,” she said, her voice echoing in the entrance.

“I received a distress signal from your research installation,” Rhaevia answered calmly.

The woman’s expression tightened instantly. “Then the containment system has finally begun to fail.”

Raevor stepped slightly forward, his posture defensive. “Who are you?”

“Serenith, keeper of the Abyssal Archive,” she replied, inclining her head respectfully. “And the last appointed guardian of this city’s historical records.”

Rhaevia exchanged a brief, knowing glance with Raevor. She turned back to the keeper.

“We need to understand what happened here,” Rhaevia said. “Your distress signal identified a Leviathan project, and it also reached Project Genesis through a Sovereign channel.”

At the mention of the project, Serenith’s expression shifted to shock.

“You carry the Genesis authority?” Serenith whispered.

“I created it,” Rhaevia replied.

The surrounding guards immediately lowered their weapons, bowing their heads in unison. Serenith stared at Rhaevia as though a forgotten legend had stepped directly out of the past.

“Then you must see the archive,” Serenith urged, gesturing for them to follow.

She led them through the bustling central district to a circular structure situated directly beneath the largest crystalline dome. Inside, thousands of luminous inscriptions covered the walls, surrounding a pedestal that projected layers of historical records.

Rhaevia approached the interface, extending her hand. The interface reacted instantly to her presence.

Project Genesis connected automatically. Luminous text flared across the air.

[ANCIENT HISTORICAL ARCHIVE DETECTED.]

[SOVEREIGN WAR RECORDS: PARTIAL RECOVERY AVAILABLE.]

[AUTHORIZATION: CREATOR SIGNATURE VERIFIED.]

The chamber darkened as a detailed three-dimensional recording materialized above the pedestal. A vast fleet appeared against the backdrop of a burning galaxy.

Golden and silver vessels fought alongside enormous biological constructs, while unfamiliar energy formations tore through the surrounding space.

Rhaevia instantly recognized the technology. It belonged to her civilization.

“This is a record of the Sovereign War,” Serenith explained, her voice weighted with reverence. “Our ancestors preserved it before the outer territories were sealed, instructed to remember the war even if the rest of the galaxy forgot.”

The grand recording shifted, narrowing its focus. Two distinct figures materialized at the center of the projection.

One was Rhaevia’s former self, wearing dark armor with intricate golden accents. Beside her stood a silver-haired woman with striking crimson eyes.

Rhaevia stopped breathing for a moment, her heart skipping a beat. She recognized that face instantly.

It was the Third Sovereign.

However, the recording revealed something she had never expected to witness. The two women stood side by side before a star map, their hands clasped in a gesture of mutual trust.

Around them, fleet commanders and senior researchers bowed in respect, not to one sovereign alone, but to both.

A line of ancient text materialized beneath the display.

[SOVEREIGN ALLIANCE: CONFIRMED.]

[ALLIED AUTHORITIES: RHAEVIA RYTHUNDEIR AND THE THIRD SOVEREIGN.]

Raevor moved closer, his expression turning grim as he analyzed the projection.

“They fought on the same side,” Raevor murmured, surprised by the revelation.

Serenith lowered her gaze slightly. “For a long time, they were far more than simple allies. Together, they protected the civilizations caught between the ancient powers, and the war records describe them as the two authorities who maintained the balance of the known universe.”

Rhaevia stared at the silver-haired woman in the glowing projection. The Third Sovereign had previously called her “little sister.” Now, the archive revealed that the woman threatening her new kingdom had once stood beside her in battle.

“Why did their alliance collapse?” Rhaevia asked, turning her eyes to the keeper.

Serenith hesitated, visibly uneasy. “The archives are fragmented…”

The central projection flickered violently, revealing a final, tragic image: the two Sovereigns standing on opposite sides of a shattered throne. Before the archive could display the accompanying record, every light in the chamber turned a harsh, flashing red.

[HISTORICAL RECORD CORRUPTION DETECTED.]

[FINAL ALLIANCE RECORD: SEALED.]

A final line of text burned across the pedestal.

[WARNING: THE THIRD SOVEREIGN WAS ONCE RHAEVIA’S ALLY.]

Serenith looked directly into Rhaevia’s eyes, her voice trembling. “The betrayal that ended their alliance,” she whispered softly, “is the reason our civilization was ordered to hide.”

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