Ren Zian stepped into the next palace zone, a vast courtyard surrounded by towering crystal walls. The air smelled faintly of blooming flowers, but it was too quiet—unnaturally quiet. Lyra, walking close beside him, tensed instantly. Her connection to plants made her aware something here was wrong.
"This place… it's supposed to feel alive. But it's like the roots have gone still," she said, her voice low.
Ren scanned the surroundings. The courtyard's center was dominated by a massive greenhouse-like structure, its glass panels fogged from within. He could feel a faint magical pulse coming from it, irregular and strained, like something struggling to break free.
Before they could take another step, the doors to the greenhouse creaked open. A figure stepped out—tall, cloaked in dark green armor, with vines twisted like chains around his arms. His face was mostly hidden beneath a helm shaped like a thorned rosebud.
"Ren Zian," the man spoke slowly, each word deliberate, "You have taken what is mine before. Today, you will pay the price."
Lyra's eyes narrowed. "That's Thornis, the Keeper of the Locked Garden. He was once a protector of plant realms… until he started twisting them for control."
Ren's gaze sharpened. "So you're the reason this place feels dead."
Thornis laughed lightly. "Dead? No. Sleeping… until I choose otherwise."
Before Ren could reply, a shadow moved from behind Thornis. A young woman stepped into view, her silver-green hair tied into a loose braid, her eyes a deep, wary amber. She was dressed in a simple vine-stitched gown, her wrists bound by living roots that pulsed faintly with magic.
Lyra's breath caught. "That's Selene. She's the Guardian of Renewal… or she was, before he chained her powers."
Ren could see Selene's struggle. Even without speaking, her gaze told him she wanted freedom, but Thornis's control was absolute.
Thornis stepped forward, the ground beneath him sprouting jagged, thorn-covered vines that snaked toward Ren and Lyra. "You want her? Then you'll have to tear apart the Locked Garden itself."
Ren drew his blade, the Chaos energy within him pulsing in response to the challenge. Lyra summoned her own bloom-infused magic, petals swirling around her like tiny shields.
The fight began instantly. Thornis struck first, sending a wave of thorned vines whipping toward them. Ren slashed through them, but each cut vine split into two smaller ones, still deadly. Lyra countered with bursts of radiant blossoms that burned the vines away, but Thornis's control over the battlefield was relentless.
Selene stood frozen, her bindings glowing brighter each time Ren or Lyra struck Thornis. Ren realized the magic was feeding off the battle—it was meant to keep her trapped until Thornis was defeated.
"You're making this too easy," Thornis taunted, sending a wave of vines that slammed Ren backward into the crystal wall. Pain flared through his side, but he pushed off immediately, charging forward with a powerful Chaos Slash that shattered the vine barrier Thornis raised.
Lyra pressed the attack from the side, unleashing a burst of blooming energy that forced Thornis to stumble.
Ren took the opening. "Selene! Fight it!" he shouted.
For a moment, Selene's eyes flickered, but Thornis tightened his control. "She is mine!" he roared, summoning a massive vine beast from the ground—a twisted creature of bark and thorns that lunged straight at Ren.
Ren and Lyra moved in sync. He cut deep into the beast's core while Lyra's magic burned its roots, causing it to collapse into ash and petals.
But Thornis didn't falter. He unleashed a barrage of thorn spears that forced Ren and Lyra to dodge repeatedly. Ren's armor took a glancing hit, slicing his arm, but he ignored the pain and focused on breaking Thornis's defense.
Finally, Ren spotted it—an exposed crystal embedded in Thornis's chestplate, pulsing in time with the bindings around Selene's wrists. That was the key.
"Lyra, cover me!" Ren called.
Lyra understood instantly. She unleashed a wall of radiant blooms that forced Thornis to shield his eyes. Ren surged forward, channeling all his Chaos energy into his blade. He struck the crystal directly, shattering it with a sharp crack.
The moment it broke, Thornis let out a furious roar, the vines around him writhing wildly before withering away. Selene's bindings snapped, the roots crumbling to dust as she stumbled forward.
"No…! This garden… is mine!" Thornis tried to lunge at her, but Ren intercepted him, driving his blade into the ground between them. The shockwave sent Thornis sprawling back.
Selene raised her hands, green light spilling from her palms. The courtyard came alive in seconds—flowers blooming, trees unfurling fresh leaves, and the air filling with a sweet, warm scent. The crystal walls themselves seemed to pulse with renewed life.
Thornis, now weakened, staggered. "You… will regret this…" His body dissolved into a mass of blackened roots that sank into the soil and vanished.
Ren lowered his weapon, breathing heavily. Lyra stepped to Selene's side, steadying her.
"You're safe now," Lyra said gently.
Selene looked at Ren, her voice soft but steady. "Thank you. I could feel your strength even when I couldn't move… You broke the lock on my heart as well as the garden."
Ren gave a faint smile. "Then let's make sure no one chains you again."
As the magic of the courtyard settled, Selene's gratitude deepened into something warmer. Later, in the privacy of the restored greenhouse, she reached for Ren. Her touch was hesitant at first, but quickly turned certain, as if she had been waiting for this moment of freedom to truly breathe.
The connection between them was different from his bond with Lyra—gentle yet filled with quiet intensity. Through their closeness, Ren felt the Chaos System flare, granting him a new power: Nature's Bond, the ability to heal and enhance plant-based magic instantly.
When they emerged, Selene was no longer the bound prisoner of the Locked Garden—she was its protector once more, and now, an ally who would stand by Ren in the battles to come.