Thalora

Chapter Nine: The Holo-Library

The cavern where Alyssa stood with Troy felt like a world apart from the Academy. The soft glow of the torches cast long shadows on the walls, where strange carvings seemed to shift under the flickering light.

Troy walked ahead, motioning for Alyssa to follow him deeper into the cavern. Nimbus fluttered around them. His small wings made a faint buzzing sound as he flitted from one rock formation to another. Alyssa still wasn't sure what to make of the tiny creature, but he seemed... comforting, in a way. Like some sort of guide.

"So," Troy said, glancing over his shoulder at her with a smirk. "You came all this way, bruised and battered, and you still don't know what you're looking for."

Alyssa frowned, wrapping her arms around herself. "I know what I'm looking for. Answers. The truth."

Troy's smirk softened into something more thoughtful. "Yeah. That's what they all say at first." He stopped walking and gestured to the space around them. "This place? It's more than just some ancient temple. It's a vault. A library of sorts."

"A library?" Alyssa echoed, her brow furrowing in confusion. "I don't see any books."

Troy chuckled, shaking his head. "That's because it's not that kind of library. You won't find dusty old scrolls or books here. What you will find... is this."

He reached into one of his cloak pockets and pulled out a small, shimmering sphere—about the size of an apple. The surface of the sphere seemed to pulse with a faint light, like it was alive, reacting to his touch.

Alyssa stepped closer, intrigued. "What is that?"

Troy held up the sphere, his eyes gleaming. "This is a holo-sphere. It contains memories—footage, if you will—of the past. Of what really happened before the Academy came along."

Alyssa stared at the sphere, her heart pounding in her chest. "You mean... it has recordings? Of the Eldarii?"

"Not just the Eldarii," Troy said, his voice lowering. "It has the truth. The truth the Academy doesn't want you to know."

With a flick of his wrist, Troy placed the sphere into a device that sat on a stone pedestal in the center of the chamber. The device hummed to life, its mechanisms whirring as the sphere clicked into place. Suddenly, a burst of light erupted from the device. The air around them shimmered as holographic scenes began to form.

Alyssa gasped as the first image materialized before her.

She saw a sprawling landscape—lush, vibrant, and full of life. The sky was a brilliant shade of blue. In the distance, towering mountains loomed over peaceful villages nestled in the valley below. The Eldarii people moved about their lives, laughing, trading, and worshiping at ornate stone temples. Their culture was rich, their connection to the land and the stars palpable even through the holographic projection.

"These are the Eldarii," Troy said softly, his voice almost reverent. "They were peaceful, Alyssa. They were more connected to the universe than any species we've ever known. Their knowledge of the Colossal Gods—those ancient, celestial beings—was unmatched."

The scene shifted, showing the Eldarii gathered in a vast temple, worshiping towering statues of the Colossal Gods. The gods were depicted as grand, otherworldly beings—larger than life, with eyes like stars and bodies made of celestial energy. The Eldarii knelt before them, offering prayers and sacrifices, their devotion evident in every movement.

"The Colossal Gods," Troy continued, "are more than just myths. They were real. The Eldarii believed they were the creators of the universe, the guardians of balance and life. And the Eldarii... well, they were their chosen people."

Alyssa stared at the holographic scene, her heart aching at the beauty of it. She could feel the serenity in the air, the deep sense of harmony that existed between the Eldarii and their world.

But then the scene changed.

The peaceful villages and temples vanished, replaced by chaos. The once-beautiful landscape was now a battlefield, the sky darkened with smoke and fire. Alyssa's breath caught in her throat as she saw the Academy's soldiers storming the Eldarii villages, their advanced weapons cutting through the people with brutal efficiency.

"This..." Troy said, his voice darkening. "This is what the Academy doesn't want you to know. This is how they took the Eldarii's knowledge. They didn't ask for it. They didn't earn it. They took it—by force."

The holographic soldiers were ruthless, their energy blasters and swords tearing through the Eldarii defenders. Entire villages were burned to the ground, their temples desecrated and looted for their ancient knowledge. The scene was eerily similar to the old history books Alyssa had read about Earth's conquests—the way the Spaniards had destroyed the Aztec empire in their greed for gold and power.

"They came in like conquerors," Troy said, his eyes fixed on the scenes playing out before them. "And they wiped out the Eldarii. Not because the Eldarii were a threat, but because the Academy wanted their power—their connection to the Colossal Gods."

Alyssa felt a sickening weight settle in her stomach as she watched the Academy's soldiers destroy the Eldarii's temples, tearing down the statues of the gods and pillaging their sacred texts. It was a massacre. A betrayal of everything the Academy claimed to stand for.

"They didn't just take their land," Troy continued, his voice heavy with anger. "They took their knowledge. The Academy has been using the Eldarii's secrets to build their empire, to control the stars. But they don't understand the true power of what they've taken."

The scene shifted once more, this time showing a massive, celestial being—one of the Colossal Gods—hovering over the ruins of an Eldarii village. Its eyes were like burning stars, and its body pulsed with an ethereal energy that seemed to bend the fabric of reality around it.

"The Colossal Gods," Troy whispered. "They're not just myth. They're real. And they're still out there, somewhere. Waiting."

Alyssa stared at the godly figure, her mind racing. The power radiating from the Colossal God was unlike anything she had ever felt. It was raw, ancient, untapped.

Troy turned to face her, his expression grave. "The Academy doesn't understand what they're playing with, Alyssa. They think they can control the Eldarii's power, tap into the energy of the Colossal Gods and use it to expand their empire. But if they awaken that power—if they try to harness the gods themselves—it could destroy everything."

Alyssa's heart pounded in her chest. "What do you mean?"

Troy stepped closer, his voice lowering to a whisper. "The Colossal Gods are beings of balance. They don't take sides. They simply... exist. But if the Academy keeps pushing, keeps trying to harness their power... they'll tip the balance. And when that happens, the gods will wipe us all out."

The holographic scene faded, leaving the cavern in silence. Alyssa stood there, her mind spinning with everything Troy had just shown her. The Academy wasn't just training leaders. They were hiding something far more dangerous—something that could end everything if it went unchecked.

Troy placed a hand on her shoulder, his expression softening. "You have a connection to the Eldarii, Alyssa. You've felt it, haven't you? That pull, that energy inside you. It's why the Academy is so interested in you. But they don't want you for who you are. They want you for what you can do—for the power they think they can control."

Alyssa swallowed hard, her throat dry. "What do we do?"

Troy's gaze hardened, and for a moment, the weight of his words felt heavier than anything Alyssa had ever known. "We stop them. Before they wake the gods."