Guardian's Wrath

River stayed rooted in place. The wind stirred the leaves around him, yet the world itself seemed to hold its breath. The Myrracenta loomed ahead, beckoning them with a beauty too powerful to be natural. Each pulse of its light released waves of magic that rippled through the air. River could feel it—like a heartbeat not his own—coursing through his bones, whispering to the dormant power in his blood.

But hesitation clung to him like a second skin.

Was it worth the risk? To touch power that wasn't his, trespass into sacred ground, and awaken gods or demons?

"Oho? Are you scared?" Alara teased, her smirk sharp as ever, one brow raised in challenge.

River didn't answer right away. He stared at her, deadpan. This girl was a walking chaos engine—a bad influence dressed in leather and attitude.

And yet, he nodded.

With one shared breath, they crossed the boundary into the Western Amazon Domain—enemy territory. Sacred. Forbidden.

The air changed immediately. Magic thickened around them like mist. River felt it tingle across his skin, seeping into his lungs, coiling into his nerves like liquid fire. Even Alara, usually devoid of magical prowess, lifted her palms in awe as strands of wind curled playfully around her fingers.

Several feet away, the Myrracenta towered in majestic silence. Its petals shimmered like oil over water, the colors shifting in rhythm with its subtle chime—a divine melody that resonated in the chest more than the ears. River could now understand why the Western tribes revered it. It didn't just look holy—it felt like it.

He stopped, just short of its luminous roots. This was the closest he'd been to something so utterly divine. So alien.

Closing his eyes, River reached—not physically, but with sheer will. He visualized a power that could negate magic. A nullifier. A cure. Something that could reverse the strange affliction festering among the warriors. He didn't ask for strength. He didn't beg for glory.

He asked to fix what was broken.

Then the system responded:

[WARNING] [ACCESS TO MYRRACENTA: DENIED]

[RESTRICTED USER DETECTED. SUMMONING GUARDIAN DEITY.]

River's eyes shot open. "Oh, come on—are you serious?"

The air shimmered. From the core of the bloom emerged a figure—tall, regal, terrifying. Not merely an elf, but something far older. Its skin was alabaster, etched with glowing runes that pulsed like molten gold. Silver eyes burned with judgment honed through centuries.

River took a step back. "Time to go, Alara—"

But she wasn't moving.

Alara was on her knees, clutching her ears, face contorted in pain and panic. The Myrracenta's chime, once beautiful, was now a shrill and punishing shriek. One meant to break the uninvited.

"Alara! Come on, get up!" River bolted back toward her. "We have to run!"

The Guardian raised a hand. The air split with a shriek of raw magic. A visible arc of energy sliced through the forest, trees cleaving in two with a thunderous crash.

"Sentinel!" River shouted, throwing up a barrier.

The shield formed in an instant—translucent and humming with power.

But it didn't hold.

The strike shattered it like glass. The force launched River backward, his body slamming into the ground hard enough to knock the breath from his lungs.

"Fuck! Fuck!"

The Guardian raised its hand again.

River's mind scrambled. No more time. No backup. Just instinct.

He wrapped his arms around Alara and muttered, "I hope this works."

Then he activated Hibernation.

A veil shimmered into existence, cloaking them from the world. The magic folded around them like a second skin, muffling all sound, all light, all movement.

The Guardian hesitated.

It scanned the clearing, rune-covered eyes narrowing. It sensed something—but not enough. Their presence had vanished, removed from time, from attention.

Then slowly, with unnerving grace, the Guardian turned back and faded into the light of the Myrracenta.

Gone.

River didn't breathe until the shimmer faded.

Alara gasped sharply beside him, collapsing forward as though pulled from deep water.

"He's gone," River whispered. "You're safe."

Alara didn't answer at first. Her hands were trembling, her breath uneven.

River helped her to her feet, slow and steady. "Let's get out of here. It didn't work anyway."

They walked back in silence, the weight of their mistake following with every step.

Somewhere along the trail, Alara's voice broke the stillness. "Aren't you going to ask me why?"

River looked sideways. "Do you want me to?"

She paused. Then shook her head. "No."

[Affection Increased]

[You have earned 1 Red Heart]

[New Skill Unlocked: Wind Manipulation – Level 2]

River blinked. "Wait... I didn't even do anything."

Back in the hut, Alara sat by the door. Her usual confidence had quieted.

"This is my fault. I pushed you into it," she said.

"No," River said firmly. "I'm the idiot who tried to steal magic from a divine flower."

Alara frowned. "But why didn't it let you access it? Why did it summon a Guardian?"

River didn't know the answer.

"For now, that's not what matters," he said. "We should be more worried if the Matriarch finds out. We might've just kicked the hornet's nest."

"I'll check if she knows," Alara offered, already on her feet. In a blink, she vanished.

River sighed and collapsed onto his bed.

His thoughts drifted to the system—the bane of his new existence. The thing that threw him into this mess.

What did he know so far?

One: It was a Romance System. Five gray hearts per woman. Turning a heart red unlocked a mystery ability tied to her.

Two: It relied on something called "Greater Beauty." But River didn't know if that meant strength, charisma, looks, or some mysterious combination.

Three: It wouldn't let him die. Not directly. Natural causes? Fair game. But it always threw him a bone when death was too close, masking power-ups as "wishes."

Four: It refused to let him cheat on his own. No hints. No shortcuts. Even a god-bloom like the Myrracenta was off-limits.

It wanted him to grind. To earn every single thing through trial, charm, and sheer nerve.

But why? Who built it? Who judged his progress?

Frustrated, River muttered under his breath.

"You want me to work for it? Fine. That's what I'll do."

He laid back, eyes on the ceiling beams above.

"After all... I'm starting to enjoy this reincarnated life."