The revelation of the Cthulhu threat and the true reason for the Netlin's arrival had left the inhabitants of Umbria in a state of existential shock. The scale of the conflict was beyond imagining. Merlin, sensing that the pieces of the cosmic puzzle were still incomplete, delved once again into the most ancient and dangerous texts in the secret library.
He ignored the Keystones for a moment, focusing on fragments he rarely consulted, texts unfamiliar even to most of the Ancient Mages, written in forgotten star languages and filled with concepts that defied human logic. Among them, he found cryptic references to the "Harp Stars" and the "Void Wars." With the help of complex translation spells and his vast linguistic knowledge, Merlin began to decipher a particular set of dark crystal tablets, known as the "Lyran Shards."
What he discovered chilled him, making even the threat of Poimandres and Cthulhu seem like a footnote in a far vaster and more terrifying story.
He reconvened the Council, his face marked by a fatigue that was not only physical, but cosmic.
"What Alatar saw... Cthulhu... is only one faction," Merlin began, his voice barely a whisper at first, but gaining strength as he spoke. "The texts... the Lyran Shards... speak of a time of unimaginable conflict, long before humanity learned to light fires, perhaps even before the Netlin fell. They speak of the Lyran Wars."
He reached across the table, and a hazy, shifting image appeared in the air, projected by his magic. It showed colliding galaxies, stars being devoured, and nebulas burning with alien fires.
"The constellation of Lyra," Merlin explained, "was, eons ago, the center of a galactic empire, or perhaps a key battlefield. The texts describe a cosmic-scale conflict between multiple non-human races, beings of power and technology beyond our comprehension."
He pointed to different points on the holographic image. "On one side were the entities we now associate with the Cthulhu Mythos. The Great Old Ones from the Outer Void, beings of chaos and entropy, seeking to expand their influence from dimensions beyond our own."
The image changed, showing tall, scaly, reptilian figures with cold, calculating eyes, commanding fleets of organically shaped ships. "They faced the Draconian Saurians, or 'Reptilians' as some later myths call them. An ancient, technologically advanced, territorial race with a hierarchical and ruthless social structure. They sought dominance, genetic control, and the assimilation of other worlds."
The image changed again, now showing tall, thin beings with large black eyes and grayish skin, operating complex machinery in sterile environments. "There were also the 'Grays,' or the Emissaries of Zeta Reticuli. Not necessarily warriors, but explorers, scientists, perhaps bio-engineers, whose motivations were (and probably still are) inscrutable. Their methods often involved genetic manipulation and the cold study of other life forms."
Finally, the image showed creatures that resembled giant, biomechanical insects, moving in coordinated swarms, building colossal structures, and unleashing devastating energy weapons. "And the 'Insectoids' of the Centipede Nebula. A collective, expansive consciousness that viewed other life forms as resources or infestations to be eradicated. Their strength lay in their numbers and their perfect coordination."
Merlin paused, letting the enormity of the revelation sink in. "These four factions, and possibly others the texts don't name or that were lost in translation, waged a war that spanned millennia and destroyed countless worlds. The Lyran Wars."
"And the Netlins?" Aria asked, feeling incredibly small.
"The Lyran Shards mention them briefly," Merlin replied. "They call them the 'Fallen Watchers.' They suggest the Netlin intervened in the Lyran Wars, perhaps trying to impose order, perhaps choosing a side, or perhaps their 'Fall' was a direct consequence of that war, punishment for their interference or collateral damage from the unleashed energies."
"So," Kaelen said, trying to understand, "they're coming here, to Earth, because Cthulhu is awakening, and he was one of the sides in that war?"
"Exactly," Merlin confirmed. "Earth, for some reason—perhaps its strategic position, its latent magical resources, or because it is a former outpost of one of these factions—is now a focal point. The awakening of Poimandres and the growing influence of Chaos have weakened the barriers, attracting the attention of Cthulhu-like Great Old Ones. And the arrival of these Great Old Ones, in turn, has triggered the response of the Netlin, the Fallen Watchers, who have come to contain or confront their ancient enemy."
"And what about the Reptilians, the Greys, the Insectoids?" Lyra asked, horrified at the thought of so many threats.
"I don't know," Merlin admitted. "They could have been destroyed in the Lyran Wars. They could be watching from afar. Or they could see the current situation as an opportunity to return and reclaim what they consider theirs." We are in the midst of a cosmic conflict whose ramifications we can only begin to imagine."
The silence in the library was heavy, laden with a terrifying realization. Their fight against Nyx and Morgana, the defense of Umbria—it all seemed now a mere local skirmish on the edge of an ancient galactic war.
"What do we do, Merlin?" Aria asked, her voice barely a whisper. "How do we fight against... all of this?"
"We do what we've always done," Merlin replied, though his voice lacked its usual certainty. "We prepare. We learn. We seek strength in ourselves and in our allies. We strengthen our defenses. And we use the knowledge we have—the Emerald Tablet, the Keystones—as wisely as we can. We may be small on the cosmic scale, but this is our world." And we will defend it."
But in their eyes, even Aria could see the doubt. They were facing not just darkness, but a universe filled with ancient horrors and stellar wars—a universe far larger, stranger, and more dangerous than they had ever dreamed. The survival of Umbria, and of Earth itself, had just become exponentially more uncertain.