Ancestral Lineage - Chapter 310

Chapter 310: We Are Back!
The wind changed—not in temperature or force, but in timbre. The very air began to hum with an inaudible pressure, like the low frequency of a storm rolling across reality itself.

Stygian’s eyes snapped open.

Even Onyx stopped fidgeting with Saareiya.

Maverick lifted his head as the sigils surrounding Ethan pulsed once more. The deep grey-blue symbol representing the drake flared, and then—without warning—everything fell silent.

Not quiet—silent.

No breath. No heartbeat. No sound at all.

Saareiya gasped, but her voice made no noise. Her lips moved in panic, but even the sound of her own thoughts seemed dulled.

And then, like a string plucked in a cathedral, a single tone echoed through the void.

It wasn’t heard. It was felt—in the bones, in the soul.

A line of crackling pressure drew itself into the air like a tear being unzipped, and from it stepped a figure who seemed both primal and noble. A presence neither fierce nor overwhelming, yet impossible to ignore.

Sage.

Nearly eight feet tall, his physique was power molded into grace. Deep blue hair, short and wavy, crowned his head just beneath two backward-sweeping dark horns. His eyes, sharp and calculating, gleamed with a muted grey—like thunderclouds before the storm. His skin bore a cool, stone-like resilience, and the clawed fingers on his hands moved with the control of a maestro preparing to conduct a symphony of destruction.

On his back were two large draconic wings, folded neatly, patterned with subtle glyphs that shimmered faintly when the light caught them. His tail moved behind him in a steady rhythm—like a metronome marking the tempo of existence.

The most striking thing, however, was the glowing grey soundwave-shaped sigil etched into his forehead, pulsing softly like the beat of a perfect silence.

He bowed slightly to Ethan, his voice calm and smooth—yet layered with resonances that echoed before and after he spoke.

“Master.”

Ethan’s lips curved in deep satisfaction. “Sage. You’ve awakened.”

Sage nodded. “My dreams were long and filled with discord. I rise now to restore balance… and melody.”

Saareiya shivered. “Why are all of them so… tall and terrifying?”

Onyx giggled beside her. “That’s because they’re him. Extensions of master. We reflect his truth in pieces.”

Sage tilted his head slightly and spoke directly to Saareiya, his voice like the quiet wind over calm water, yet with enough weight to still the world.

“You’re not wrong to fear. But we are not here to harm.”

Maverick let out a low grunt of agreement.

Stygian crossed his arms and added, “Unless commanded.”

That didn’t help Saareiya.

Ethan simply laughed, rising to his feet atop the chain. “You all truly are remarkable. And you’ve come far.”

He looked to the final sigil—the golden one. Calm, grounded, and eternal.

“Now then… Galeno.”

The golden sigil pulsed.

Once.

Twice.

And on the third beat—it stopped.

Everything did.

Even Sage, for all his composed grandeur, went still, eyes narrowing slightly. Maverick lowered his head respectfully. Onyx stepped aside, her face now solemn, and even Stygian—proud and sarcastic—took a knee without a word.

Saareiya could feel it too. The very space around her thickened, like she was wading through centuries. The air felt old—ancient—not in decay but in memory. Like the breath of a mountain that had watched stars be born and die.

From the golden sigil, a small ripple formed—not explosive or flashy, but deliberate. Slow. Unstoppable. A circular ring of golden light expanded outward across the chains, the void, even through Saareiya’s body—soothing and solid, yet impossible to deny.

Then… he emerged.

Galeno.

He stepped forward from the ripple with grace and quiet majesty. Golden hair tied into a flowing ponytail, draped over one shoulder, swaying with his movements like the banners of a long-forgotten empire. His skin was dark bronze, sun-kissed stone polished by time. His frame was leaner than the others, but no less powerful—each muscle a masterwork of restraint and strength.

Dark gold horns curved from his brow, catching the ambient light like twin suns, and his deep golden eyes held no ego—only the immeasurable stillness of ancient understanding. Not of might or death, but of weight… permanence.

A shimmering golden rune in the shape of crisscrossed stones glowed on his back, dimly pulsing with every step. His sharp elven ears, adorned with several golden rings, glinted as he moved, the jewelry silent but seeming to sing in their own frequency.

Galeno walked until he stood in front of Ethan, then slowly knelt on one knee, his hand pressed to the chain beneath them as if greeting an old friend.

“I have awakened, Master.”

His voice was a deep, mellow rumble—less speech and more the shifting of tectonic plates beneath the earth. Every syllable felt measured, as if etched in stone before it was spoken.

Ethan’s face softened.

“Galeno. My oldest companion. You took your time.”

The golden-eyed warrior looked up and smiled faintly, a rare but warming gesture. “Time does not move me. But you always do.”

Onyx grinned. “He’s still the poetic one.”

Stygian scoffed. “The slow one, you mean.”

Maverick smirked, folding his arms. “The only one who makes me feel small.”

Sage offered a low nod. “The foundation.”

Galeno stood, eyes scanning the group. “And now, we are whole.”

Saareiya stared at all five of them—their distinct forms, energies, personalities—and then to Ethan, at the center of them all.

“This… this is insane,” she whispered. “You’re not just strong… You’re legendary.”

Ethan didn’t answer immediately. He looked at his five companions, then slowly turned toward the space ahead—where new paths would open.

“No,” he finally said. “We are.”

And as if waiting on cue—it happened.

“WE ARE BACK!” Maverick suddenly yelled, leaping into the air like an excited child. All of his earlier majestic composure evaporated, leaving Saareiya gaping in yet another round of shock.

“I knew you were holding something back,” Ethan chuckled, arms crossed, amusement dancing in his eyes.

“Composure doesn’t suit you at all,” Onyx said with a smirk, folding her arms as her tails flicked lazily behind her.

“I told you he’d break sooner or later,” Stygian snorted, his sharp grin spreading wide.

“He’s always the loudest,” Sage murmured with a rare, gentle smile tugging at his lips.

Galeno simply shook his head as he received his clothes from Ethan—a soft blue sweater, gray trousers, and black sandals crafted for his clawed feet.

“And you’re all just jealous of my overwhelming handsomeness,” Maverick declared, flipping his light grey hair with exaggerated flair and a haughty snort.

“Look who’s talking, stone bird,” Stygian fired back, arms crossed, brow raised.

“Temper furnace, how are you?” Maverick shot back instantly.

“Are they always like this?” Saareiya whispered, edging closer to Onyx.

“This?” Onyx chuckled. “This is just the surface. Go on, big brother’s calling you.”

Saareiya turned and saw Galeno seated gracefully beside Ethan. His tall, statuesque frame dwarfed even Ethan, making the powerful young man seem like a child beside a giant. His golden eyes softened when they met hers.

“How is big sis?” he asked gently.

“She’s doing well. I’m sure she misses you… but we’ve got a few errands to run before we go back.”

“Mm. I don’t mind,” Galeno replied. “As long as she doesn’t scold us again.”

“You already know her—she won’t.”

“You’re right.” He smiled, then turned to Saareiya. “Ah, hello there.”

Before she could respond, Galeno’s massive yet gentle palm reached out and scooped her up effortlessly, settling her onto his lap like she were no more than a leaf.

“H-hello…” she murmured, feeling impossibly small but oddly safe.

“No need to be afraid,” Galeno said with warm calm. “You’re one of us now. We’re family.”

“…Okay.”

“And don’t mind those two,” he continued, nodding toward Maverick and Stygian, “They may argue like rivals, but they’re the closest of us all. Like twins.”

“For real?” she asked, blinking up at him.

“I can’t lie in front of Master.”

“Really?” She turned toward Ethan, unsure.

Ethan just gestured with a wry smile. “See for yourself.”

Saareiya looked over.

Maverick and Stygian, the mighty gargoyle and the flame-eyed Cerberus, were now hunched beside Onyx, poking and teasing her three swaying tails like curious children. Onyx squawked in protest, swatting them away, but couldn’t hide the amused grin on her face.

Just moments ago they had been trading barbs—and now this.

Saareiya blinked in disbelief.

“…Yeah,” she murmured. “Family.”