Chapter 16: The Return of the Lost

The bridge was silent.

The enemy fleet—these beings who had just threatened to erase us—were suddenly still. Hesitant.

And the newcomers...

Their ships radiated power. They weren’t just vessels—they were monuments, gleaming with golden and silver energy. Their hulls bore ancient glyphs, pulsating with an aura I didn’t understand but could feel in my bones.

Whoever they were, they weren’t just here to fight.

They were here to change everything.

The voice came again, steady and commanding.

“Captain Harper, your presence here is no accident.”

I took a slow breath. “And who exactly am I speaking to?”

A pause. Then—

“I am High Warden Kael’Voran of the Ardent Remnant. We are what remains of the First War.”

Ny’Vara stiffened beside me, her tail flicking with nervous tension. “Ardent Remnant? That name is not in any galactic records.”

Kael’Voran’s voice darkened. “No. Because your people were never meant to know we existed.”

That sent a chill down my spine.

I met Ny’Vara’s gaze. She looked as unsettled as I felt.

Then, the enemy fleet—these beings who had attacked us without hesitation—began to move. Not toward us. Toward the rift.

They were leaving.

I narrowed my eyes. “They were ready to wipe me out five minutes ago. Now they’re running?”

Kael’Voran answered grimly. “Because they know they cannot win.”

A pulse of light rippled from the golden ships. As if in silent agreement, the enemy fleet vanished—one by one, slipping back into the void.

Then, the rift collapsed.

And for the first time in what felt like an eternity, space was silent.

### A Truth Long Buried

Moments later, the Ardent Remnant’s lead vessel hailed us.

I stepped forward. “On-screen.”

The viewscreen flickered—revealing Kael’Voran.

He was humanoid ... but not entirely. His skin shimmered like shifting metal, golden veins pulsing beneath the surface. His eyes were pure white, filled with something that felt ... ancient. Powerful.

He studied me, then spoke.

“You carry the Last Dreadnought, Captain Harper. You have awoken its legacy. And now, you must understand the war you have inherited.”

I crossed my arms. “Then start talking.”

Kael’Voran nodded. “Very well. But not here. Not in open space.”

He leaned forward.

“Come with us. And we will show you the truth of your ship. The truth of what you are.”

The weight of his words settled on my shoulders.

Ny’Vara placed a hand on my arm, her emerald eyes searching mine. “We do not have to go with them, Harper.”

I exhaled. “Yes, we do.”

Because deep down, I knew the truth.

I couldn’t run from this.

I had woken something buried for millennia.

And now, I needed to find out why.