Reincarnated as the Villainess’s Unlucky Bodyguard

The air grew heavier with each step they took. The jagged walls of the cavern began to change, their rough surfaces smoothing into intricate patterns of intertwining lines and runes. The faint green glow of moss was replaced by a deep, pulsing crimson light emanating from cracks in the stone, as though the very cavern was alive and bleeding.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Daena's hand gripped her sword tightly, her violet eyes scanning every corner of the tunnel. "Something's different here. This isn't natural."

"No kidding," Enara muttered, her voice strained. "It feels like we're being watched."

"I told you this was a bad idea," Ananara grumbled, hovering just above Liria's shoulder. His spiky form pulsed faintly, his irritation almost palpable. "But no one listens to the talking pineapple."

"Maybe because the talking pineapple doesn't know when to shut up," Liria shot back, her tone sharp.

[He's got a point, you know,] the system chimed in her mind, its usual mocking tone tinged with unease. [This place reeks of bad decisions. And that's coming from me.]

Thanks for the vote of confidence, Liria thought, her mismatched eyes narrowing as she studied the tunnel ahead.

The further they ventured, the more the cavern seemed to close in around them. The walls, now covered in ancient runes, pulsed faintly in time with the crimson light, casting eerie shadows that seemed to writhe and twist like living things.

"What do you think these runes mean?" Enara asked, tracing one with her fingers.

"Nothing good," Daena replied curtly, pulling her away. "Don't touch anything."

Enara frowned but didn't argue, falling back in line as they continued forward.

As they rounded a corner, the tunnel opened into a vast chamber, its size almost impossible to comprehend. The ceiling stretched so high that it vanished into darkness, while massive stone pillars carved with more glowing runes spiraled up into the void. At the center of the chamber was a massive door, its surface covered in intricate carvings and inlaid with gemstones that shimmered with an otherworldly light.

Liria stopped in her tracks, her breath catching in her throat. The door radiated an aura of power so intense it was almost suffocating.

"That must be it," Daena said, her voice low.

"The treasure," Enara whispered, her midnight eyes wide with awe.

Ananara, however, floated a little closer and tilted himself as though scrutinizing the door. "Or it's another trap. I mean, come on, does this really scream 'convenient pile of riches'? Or does it scream 'doom'? Be honest."

"Doom," Daena said without hesitation.

"Absolutely doom," Enara added, stepping back slightly.

"Maybe," Liria said, her voice softer than usual. Her eyes remained fixed on the door, her mind racing.

[Stats incoming: Treasure Vault Door. Level: ???. Status: Locked. Threat Level: Unknown.]

Unknown? Liria thought. You're supposed to know everything.

[If you think I can magically decode ancient demon vault tech, you're giving me way too much credit. All I can tell you is that this thing isn't just a door it's a test.]

"What's wrong?" Daena asked, noticing Liria's hesitation.

"Nothing," Liria lied, forcing her expression to remain neutral. "It just looks... intimidating."

"That's putting it lightly," Enara said, folding her arms. "So, what do we do now? Just walk up to it and hope it doesn't kill us?"

"We're not walking up to it at all," Daena said firmly. "Not yet. This room is too open, and the door itself feels... alive."

"Alive?" Ananara repeated, hovering closer to the group. "You're being dramatic."

"Am I?" Daena gestured to the runes on the pillars, which were now glowing brighter, their pulsating rhythm matching the faint hum in the air. "This place is reacting to us."

Before anyone could respond, the ground beneath their feet began to vibrate. The hum grew louder, resonating through the chamber like the deep toll of a bell. The door's gemstones began to flicker, their light growing stronger with each pulse.

"Okay, that's not ominous at all," Ananara said, his sarcasm failing to mask his unease.

Liria took a cautious step forward, her instincts screaming at her to turn back, but something about the door drew her in. The carvings seemed to shift and ripple as she approached, as though the door was studying her.

"Liria, stop," Daena said sharply.

Liria hesitated, her hand tightening on her sword. "I'm not touching it," she said. "I just... want a closer look."

"You'll do more than look if it decides to attack," Daena said, stepping in front of her. "We need to think this through."

"For once, I agree with Daena," Ananara said, his glowing form bobbing nervously. "This whole setup screams 'bad news.' Let's just turn around and pretend we never saw this place."

"We can't turn back now," Liria said, her voice steady despite the tension in her body. "We've come too far."

Enara stepped closer, her midnight eyes narrowing as she studied the door. "There has to be some kind of mechanism to open it. A key, a spell, something."

"Or maybe it wants something," Daena said, her expression grim. "Doors like this are usually tied to some kind of test or trial."

"That's... not reassuring," Enara said.

[She's not wrong,] the system said in Liria's mind. [If this is a vault, it's not just going to let you waltz in and take whatever's inside. You're going to have to prove yourself.]

Prove myself how?

[That's the million-gold question, isn't it?]

Liria sighed, her mismatched eyes scanning the chamber for any clues. The runes on the pillars seemed to pulse in a sequence, their light flowing toward the door.

"Do you think the runes are connected to the door?" she asked aloud.

"Maybe," Daena said. "Or they could be part of the trap."

"Only one way to find out," Enara said, stepping toward one of the pillars.

"Enara, don't—" Daena started, but it was too late.

As Enara touched the pillar, the runes flared to life, their light flooding the chamber. The door let out a low, resonant groan, its carvings shifting once more. The gemstones began to glow steadily, their light illuminating the chamber in a kaleidoscope of colors.

Enara quickly stepped back, her heart pounding. "What did I do?"

"You activated something," Daena said, drawing her sword. "Get ready."

The ground beneath them rumbled, and the air grew colder. Shadows began to gather at the edges of the chamber, coalescing into vague, humanoid shapes. Their glowing eyes and sharp, jagged forms were almost identical to the crystalline monsters they had faced earlier.

"Oh, great," Ananara muttered. "More freaky monsters. Because that's exactly what we needed."

"They're not attacking," Liria said, her voice calm but tense.

"Yet," Daena said, her grip on her sword tightening.

The shadowy figures remained motionless, their glowing eyes fixed on the group. It was as though they were waiting for something.

"What do we do now?" Enara whispered.

"We wait," Liria said, her eyes never leaving the figures. "And we stay ready."

The hum of the runes grew louder, the light from the pillars intensifying. The figures began to shift, their forms flickering like flames in the wind. The door let out another low groan, its carvings glowing faintly.

"This is a test," Liria said, her voice barely audible. "We need to figure out what it wants before these things decide to attack."

"And how do you suggest we do that?" Daena asked, her tone edged with frustration.

"We think," Liria said simply, her mismatched eyes locked on the door. "And we don't panic."

Daena's jaw tightened, her violet eyes darting between the shadowy figures circling them and the glowing runes that pulsed like a heartbeat. "Thinking is fine, but what happens when those things decide to stop waiting?"

"They haven't attacked yet," Liria pointed out, her voice calm. "That means they're waiting for something."

"Yeah," Ananara interjected, floating in tight circles above her shoulder. "Like us to trip some deadly trap and make their job easier."

"Could you try being helpful for once?" Liria shot back, her tone sharper than she intended.

"I am being helpful! I'm keeping your expectations appropriately low!" Ananara huffed, his spiked body glowing faintly in irritation.

"Enough," Daena said firmly, her voice cutting through the tension. She gestured toward the figures, who remained eerily still. "If they're waiting, then we need to figure out why. Quickly."

Enara stepped closer to one of the pillars, her movements cautious but deliberate. "The runes," she said, her voice thoughtful. "They're all connected, right? The light flows from one to the next, leading to the door."

"Like a circuit," Liria said, following her gaze. She crouched beside one of the glowing patterns, her fingers hovering just above its surface. The heat emanating from the rune was faint but steady, like the ember of a dying fire.

"Careful," Daena warned, her hand resting on her sword hilt.

"I'm not going to touch it," Liria assured her. She traced the rune's outline with her eyes, noticing the way the light pulsed in a rhythm. "It's like it's alive... almost breathing."

Enara frowned, studying the nearest pillar. "Do you think we're supposed to activate something? Maybe the runes need to be... synced?"

"Or maybe touching them will wake those things up," Ananara said darkly.

Liria stood, her eyes narrowing. "If it's a test, then there has to be a solution. It's not just about guessing. The door wants us to prove something."

"Prove what?" Enara asked.

"I don't know yet," Liria admitted, glancing back at the door. Its carvings seemed to ripple and shift under the glow of the gemstones, as though it were watching them in return.

"Then we figure it out," Daena said, her voice steady despite the unease in her expression. "But we do it together. No one acts alone."

The shadowy figures remained motionless, their glowing eyes fixed on the group. Time seemed to stretch, the pulsing light from the runes the only measure of its passage.