Chapter 55: Another Life

The silver-haired woman stood before the celestial throne, surrounded by an endless sea of stars. Rhaevia could not move. She could only watch. The woman was undeniably her. Yet everything about her felt ancient and powerful, familiar in a way Rhaevia could not explain.

Black-and-silver Sovereign armor covered her body, its crimson symbols pulsing with every breath. The strange crown upon her head radiated an authority that extended beyond the boundaries of the dream itself.

The scene shifted abruptly as the celestial palace dissolved into mist. Rhaevia found herself suspended high above an enormous battlefield. Her breath caught in her throat.

Millions of Zerg covered the vast planetary surface below, stretching from horizon to horizon like an endless living ocean.

Some possessed massive armored bodies, while others had wings spanning dozens of meters. Some creatures glowed with strange elemental energy, unlike any she had ever seen.

Yet none of them attacked. They were kneeling, bowing in absolute silence toward the ancient woman standing several steps ahead of Rhaevia. The Sovereign.

A single movement of the woman’s hand caused the entire Zerg army to rise. The ground trembled beneath millions of creatures moving as one. There was no confusion, no hesitation, and only absolute obedience.

Rhaevia felt an inexplicable pressure building inside her chest. This was not merely military authority. The woman was not commanding the Zerg through fear. They recognized her and revered her as their Sovereign.

A tall figure wearing ancient armor appeared at the woman’s right side. A Sentinel. The moment the two stood together, an overwhelming resonance spread across the battlefield, bending the air itself around them.

Rhaevia stared harder at the Sentinel. His height and posture felt hauntingly familiar, standing slightly behind the Sovereign as if his sole purpose was to protect her.

"Who are you?" Rhaevia whispered desperately.

She tried to see his face, but a thick mist covered his features. Turning toward the Sovereign, she found her face obscured as well, leaving only glowing azure eyes. Suddenly, the ancient woman looked directly at Rhaevia.

"You have forgotten," the voice echoed across the quiet battlefield.

Rhaevia froze, her chest tightening. "What have I forgotten?"

The ancient woman offered no answer. Instead, she raised one hand, causing the millions of Zerg behind her to lower their heads in unison. Beside her, the Sentinel stepped forward, his hand moving toward the weapon at his waist.

The sky cracked open. A massive black fracture split the heavens, revealing something enormous moving behind the veil. Rhaevia instinctively took a step back, but the ancient Sovereign remained entirely calm.

"The King is returning," the woman said softly.

Rhaevia’s blood ran cold at the title, remembering the same overwhelming presence she had felt on Planet V-17. The Sovereign turned back to Rhaevia, her ancient azure eyes filled with a subtle sorrow.

"When the King returns..." the woman began, but the dream was already collapsing.

The battlefield distorted into chaotic lines. Millions of Zerg dissolved into streams of crimson light, and the ancient Sentinel faded into a mere shadow. Rhaevia desperately reached toward them.

"Wait!" she cried out.

The Sovereign’s voice echoed one final time through the void. "Find the shield."

The entire world shattered into darkness.

"When the King returns, find the shield," the whisper persisted as Rhaevia’s eyes snapped open. She shot upright in bed, her breathing rapid and cold sweat clinging to her skin. For several seconds, she stared blindly into the dark quarters of the Rythundeir flagship.

The dream remained vivid in her mind. The ancient battlefield, the kneeling Zerg, the Sovereign, the Sentinel, the King, and the shield. She pressed one hand against her racing heart, trying to steady her thoughts.

Slowly, she swung her legs over the edge of the bed. She paused, noticing a strange faint illumination in the room.

Rhaevia lowered her gaze to her hand. Her palm was emitting a faint crimson-blue light, revealing an ancient symbol etched into the center of her skin. It consisted of several interlocking lines forming a crown-like shape surrounded by three curved markings.

The symbol pulsed once, sending a low thrum through her body. Her Guide core responded instantly, sending a wave of ancient energy surging through her veins.

A sharp chime sounded directly inside her mind, accompanied by formal system notifications.

[ANCIENT SOVEREIGN SEAL DETECTED.]

Rhaevia’s pupils contracted as the symbol brightened further.

[MEMORY FRAGMENT: UNLOCKED.]

Staring at her glowing palm, Rhaevia finally understood. Her dreams were not mere illusions or residual stress from her past life. They were ancient memories, proving that somewhere in the endless history of the universe, she had once been someone else entirely.

She sat on the edge of her bed for a long time, watching the pulse of the crimson-blue light fade into her skin. Her mind raced with the implications of the system messages.

If those visions were true memories, her identity extended far beyond being an E-rank trash or even the last general of an apocalyptic Earth.

A soft chime from her Optical Brain broke the quiet atmosphere of her room. Rhaevia raised her wrist, tapping the interface to display a holographic projection. The digital stamp bore the high-level security clearance of the Imperial fleet surrounding Planet V-17.

She read the text floating in the dim light. It was a brief, highly classified alert sent through internal channels.

[LEVEL BLACK NOTICE: ALL RECORDS CONCERNING RHAEVIA RYTHUNDEIR HAVE BEEN OFFICIALLY SEALED BY IMPERIAL COMMAND.]

Rhaevia let out a quiet breath, closing the projection with a swipe of her hand. The Empire was already moving to isolate her, treating her 3S awakening and unclassifiable Guide signature as a dangerous variable.

She stood up and walked toward the viewport of her quarters. Looking out into the vast starscape, she could see the distant hulls of the Imperial fleet floating like silent predators in the void.

Her thoughts turned to Major General Raevor Veyr. During the confrontation on the surface, he had openly defied direct commands from the Imperial representatives to place her under his personal military protection.

He had chosen to stand beside her, fully aware that shielding an unclassified 3S Guide could destroy his career and turn the Imperial Court against him.

"Why go that far for someone you barely know?" she murmured to the dark glass.

Her Optical Brain chimed again, indicating an incoming private communication request from the flagship’s main corridor. She accepted the signal, and a small holographic window expanded before her.

Her eldest brother’s face appeared in the projection, his posture sharp despite the fatigue in his eyes.

"Rhaevia, are you awake?" he asked gently.

"I am," Rhaevia replied, keeping her voice steady. "Is something wrong?"

"Nothing is wrong," her brother reassured her quickly. "Father and Mother are reviewing the fleet’s departure coordinates, but we wanted to make sure you were resting properly after the energy strain."

Rhaevia felt a subtle warmth in her chest at his tone. In her previous life as a lone general on a dying planet, no one had ever checked on her well-being like this.

"I am fine," she said. "The energy has stabilized."

Her brother nodded, though his gaze lingered on her face with concern.

"General Veyr is still on the bridge with Father," he added. "He refuses to leave the flagship until our escort clear the sector."

"He doesn’t trust the Imperial fleet," Rhaevia stated.

"Neither do we," her brother answered plainly. "Get some rest, Rhaevia. We will reach the family domain soon."

The projection faded, leaving the room in quiet darkness once more. Rhaevia looked down at her palm, where the ancient crown symbol now rested invisibly beneath her skin. The warning from her dream echoed in her mind with absolute clarity.

The king was returning, and she needed to find the shield.