Aether Crow knelt in the ruins of the Eastern Citadel, surrounded by fire, ash, and the corpses of men he'd once called brothers. The remnants of his sword quivered in his grip, its jagged edge as broken as the world around him. His once-gleaming armor was dented, stained with blood and soot, and one eye was nearly swollen shut.
From beyond the shattered walls, the invaders' cheers echoed through the smoke. They had won. The kingdom had fallen. Aether had failed.
"Figures," he muttered, coughing up blood. "We trained for ten years, died in ten minutes. That's got to be a record."
He glanced up at the darkening sky. Lightning danced between clouds like the gods themselves were holding a lightshow. Aether wasn't religious, but if the afterlife existed, he hoped it had a decent chair.
Flames crept closer. A tower collapsed with a groan, and the heat pressed down like judgment. He closed his eyes.
"I should've accepted that librarian position. Less glory, fewer arrows."
The world faded.
But instead of silence or nothingness, he awoke in a vast, black void. Quiet. Still. Unsettling.
[Initializing System...]
A glowing blue interface blinked into existence before him.
[Welcome, Aether Crow.]
[You have been selected as a candidate for the Forbidden System.]
[Reason: Last Defender of the Eastern Citadel. Soul Persistence Level: EX.]
[System Compatibility: 98.7%. Status: Acceptable.]
[Would you like to accept the Forbidden System? (Y/N)]
Aether blinked. "Right. Not suspicious at all. Absolutely nothing about this sounds like a trap."
The prompt blinked patiently.
"Well, it's not like I have better offers."
He touched "Y."
[System Binding... Success.]
[Reincarnation in progress.]
[Warning: System not recognized by local World Core. You will be considered an anomaly. Please avoid drawing attention.]
"Sure. I'm very inconspicuous. Nothing says low profile like system screens in a void."
[Abilities granted: Shadow Archives (Unique), Temporal Lock (Rare), Warden's Will (Legendary).]
Light surrounded him. His body disintegrated into motes of silver and gold.
[Good luck, Warden.]
---
When he opened his eyes, the world had changed. No fire. No screams. Just trees with glowing leaves, birds with too many wings, and a sky with two suns.
He sat up slowly. His body was lighter, younger. The pain was gone.
He looked at his hands—smooth, unscarred. "Great. I've been demoted to teenager. Again."
Standing up, he took stock of his clothes. Brown tunic, rough boots, and a cloak that looked like it lost an argument with a squirrel.
"So this is the isekai starter pack. Good to know."
A familiar screen popped up.
[Current Objectives:
1. Survive.
2. Unlock Shadow Archives.
3. Locate World Core.]
Simple. Vague. Potentially deadly. Just his luck.
Leaves rustled. Aether turned. No weapon. No backup. Just fists and optimism.
A girl stepped out from the brush. Robes dark as midnight. Violet eyes that practically whispered "I know things."
"You're not from around here," she said, tone flat.
"Let me guess. The glowing runes on my arms?"
"You're still glowing."
"Right. I'll add stealth to the wishlist."
She approached. "Name?"
"Aether Crow. Former general, part-time corpse."
She raised an eyebrow. "The Warden?"
"You've heard of me?"
"I've read your file."
He frowned. "That's… mildly invasive."
"Come with me. Before the local wildlife notices you."
"Wow. Saving my life already? We're bonding so fast."
---
She introduced herself as Lyra of the Hidden Path. Scholar, tracker, and — apparently — part-time babysitter of reincarnated warlords.
"So," he asked as they walked, "what kind of danger are we talking here? Bandits? Monsters? Existential dread?"
"Yes."
"Ah. The full package."
They passed strange flora — glowing mushrooms, hovering stones, and one squirrel that hissed at Aether like it held a grudge.
He pointed. "That one definitely wants to fight me."
"You're imagining it."
"It winked at me."
"Still not the weirdest thing you'll see."
---
They arrived at a small cave hidden behind a curtain of moss. Books, scrolls, and the faint smell of burnt parchment filled the space. Aether noticed a cat glaring at him from the shelf.
"That cat's judging me."
"It judges everyone."
Lyra tossed him a piece of bread. It was purple.
"Safe?"
"Mostly."
He took a cautious bite. "Tastes like old regrets."
"Then it's fresh."
---
That night, under a sky full of strange stars, Aether stared into the fire.
[Quest Unlocked: The Librarian of the Hidden Paths]
[Reward: Access to the Shadow Archives]
He chuckled. "Shadow Archives. Sounds like it comes with a membership card and a very cryptic librarian."
"You'll meet her eventually," Lyra said, sipping tea. "She bites."
"Of course she does."
"You're taking this all surprisingly well."
"I've already died once. This is the bonus round."
She gave him a look. "You're weird."
"Better than being boring."
---
And so, Aether's second life began—not as a chosen hero, nor a messiah—but as a curious, mildly sarcastic anomaly with a forbidden system and a tendency to attract judgmental squirrels.
The Warden had returned.
And he was winging it.
---
To be continued in Chapter 2: "The Squirrel Definitely Tried to Eat Me."