Timeless Waterfall began the tale, their voice low and resonant like the echoes of a cavern beneath the sea.

"In the beginning, there was only Mana and Matter. They had no shape, no boundary, only endless presence, filling the void in perfect silence. Yet even they, in their formless vastness, were lonely.

"One day, they became aware of each other. And in that moment, the stillness broke. They began to dance. Sometimes they clashed, sometimes they mingled but always, their movements stayed in balance. And from their rhythm, the world was born.

"As they circled this new creation, more beings emerged from the harmony of their dance: the first elementals. We call them the Old Ones. They were the purest embodiments of their elements: fire, water, earth, air, and others forgotten by time. At first, they simply existed, drifting through existence as their elements dictated. But in time, they grew aware. They began to interact.

"Mana and Matter slowed their dance to watch.

"And so came a new transformation.

"Mortal creatures were born: fragile, fleeting things, but strange. They carried something within them that even the Old Ones did not: the magic of life and death, bound together in balance. They could create new life, but their own days were numbered. That paradox fascinated Mana and Matter. They slowed even more to observe it.

"With each passing generation, mortals evolved. They grew in complexity, in consciousness. And as they did, Mana and Matter's attention shifted from the Old Ones to these new, unpredictable beings."

"The Old Ones grew jealous. They could not reproduce. They would not die. And yet now they were forgotten, cast aside like old myths. So, they turned on the mortals. Many enslaved them, ruled over them, demanded worship. And mortals, in their ignorance, gave it.

"But not all the Old Ones were cruel. Some began to love mortals. To nurture them. That was when the great rift began.

"The Old Ones split into three factions—Virtuous, Chaotic, and Evil. The Virtuous loved mortals. Under their guidance, civilizations blossomed, protected and blessed. The Evil hated mortals, saw them as vermin, and under their rule, mortals suffered. And the Chaotic… they were uncertain. Their hearts were torn, so they left mortals to forge their own paths. Under their watch, mortals had true free will."

A pause. The sound of the waterfall behind them softened, like the world itself was listening.

"But of course, peace never lasts. The factions fought—endlessly. At first, with their own divine powers, devastating the lands. Then through armies of mortals, caught in the crossfire. The wars went on for millennia.

"And then came the Cataclysm. The Evil deities crafted a spell meant to erase their enemies completely. But the Virtuous and Chaotic interfered. Something went wrong. The spell backfired, unleashing not destruction, but duplication. The world split in two: one realm claimed by the Evil, and another by the Virtuous. The Chaotic chose as they always had, whichever side suited them.

"At last, the wars ceased. A kind of peace fell over the divided realms. It endured… for a time. But Mana and Matter, ever curious, grew restless once more. They resumed their dance, faster, more erratic than before. And then something new began to happen.

"Worlds began to duplicate."

Arianna blinked, leaning forward slightly.

"Whenever a world accumulates enough mana," Timeless Waterfall explained, "it creates a copy of itself, empty at first. But life always finds its way. New creatures emerge, new mortals, new stories. Even we don't understand why it happens. The Old Ones have many theories, but none hold true.

"What we do know is this: the Evil deities saw it as an opportunity. Each new world meant more mortals to control, more territory to conquer. And the Virtuous? They could not let that happen. They, too, entered the new worlds. Not to dominate… but to protect. The war continued, child.

"But Mana and Matter had grown weary of conflict. They no longer wished to see the new mortals marred by endless strife. What they desired was to observe—to watch the blossoming of new worlds and the mortals within them, undisturbed by the meddling of immortals."

Arianna listened intently as the waterfall behind them murmured in harmony with the story.

"And so," they continued, "Mana and Matter placed barriers around the worlds. Those were great, invisible veils of law and essence. No longer could deities pass freely between realms. No longer could immortals interfere so easily. The worlds were sealed… for a time.

"But as with all things, someone found a way.

"It was a Chaotic deity who first did it, not out of malice, but out of love. Separated from a mortal they cherished, the deity crafted a gate to reach another world. They themselves could not pass through it… But the mortal could.

"Word of the gate spread. The Evil deities, ever hungry for conquest, seized the spell and corrupted it. If they could not cross the barriers themselves, they would send their mortal armies instead. Thus began the invasions—world after world, pierced by gates, flooded with soldiers and beasts from beyond.

"But the gate spell came with limits. It could only link two worlds once both had reached a certain mana saturation. And that meant the target worlds were already populated, civilized, stable, but vulnerable as the mortals of these worlds hadn't been able to use mana yet due to its low concentration in the atmosphere."

Timeless Waterfall's voice dropped lower, laced with sorrow. "The Chaotic deity who had created the original gate was horrified by what had become of their spell. Desperate to protect the newborn worlds, they sought a solution. But the gates had become self-perpetuating. Each time a world crossed the mana threshold, the gates opened anew. The spell could not be undone.

"Yet it could be tempered."

A breeze stirred the shimmering leaves around them as the tale reached a turning point.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"That deity turned to the Virtuous ones. Together, they created something new: the System.

"It would awaken in a world the moment the gates appeared. It would suppress the strength of the invaders, only letting in mortals of a certain strength until another threshold was reached. And more importantly, it would help the inhabitants of the world—granting them the ability to perceive and shape mana, to grow stronger, to resist.

"At first, Mana and Matter were angered. They had decreed separation, and still the deities meddled. But then… they looked closer.

"They saw the beauty of the System. Its balance. Its symmetry. And they were intrigued. So they reached down and altered it—just slightly. Enough to make it theirs. The original system had been too beneficial for the inhabitants of the new worlds. Mana and Matter seek balance in everything, so they changed some aspects of the system.

"From then on the system didn't only govern the mortals but the deities as well. We are strongly policed by the system so that we cannot interfere too much in the mortal worlds. After all, the Old Ones had nearly destroyed the original world, and then fought again and again.

Timeless Waterfall turned their gaze toward Arianna, eyes glowing faintly with ancient light.

"Now, when a world reaches its first mana threshold, the System awakens. The F-rank gates open. F- and E-rank invaders pour in. And something else happens as well…"

They paused.

"New deities are born—drawn from the world's own myths, legends, and collective will. Not imposed from the outside, but rising from the essence of the world itself. Sometimes they are echoes of heroes, sometimes spirits from ancient tales... and sometimes mortals who transcend their limits become deities as well. The System has power over us new deities, and so we cannot meddle in the lives of the mortals as much as the Old Ones."

Arianna felt a shiver pass through her. Her mind was racing with the implications.

Timeless Waterfall fell silent.

The only sounds were the gentle rustling of silver-blue leaves above and the distant, endless rush of the waterfall behind them.

After a long moment, Timeless Waterfall continued, their voice quieter now, almost reverent.

"Mana and Matter brought balance to what the deities had made. They chose not to grant power freely, but only when it was earned. The system itself became a proving ground, not just of strength, but of values, of sacrifice."

Arianna thought of Liam, how he had sacrificed his progress, his future, and how the system had rewarded him for it.

Timeless Waterfall revealed even more.

"A world must show it is worthy before it can receive the gifts its creators intended."

Arianna's gaze sharpened. "Gifts?"

"There were seven creators of the system," Timeless Waterfall explained, "and each left behind a blessing. Seven gifts, tied to seven pillars of community, meant to uplift the people of each new world. But to receive a gift, Mana and Matter decreed that at least one mortal must reach a milestone, a demonstration of that virtue. Only then will the system distribute the gift to all sapient beings in the world."

Arianna sat still, letting the weight of the story settle over her like mist. The origins of the system. The twisted legacy of love and war. The awakening of gods from myth. And now this—seven creators, seven gifts, and seven milestones that could shape the fate of a world. She absorbed this with growing unease. "What kind of milestones?"

"The exact milestones depend on the world," they replied. "Each system adapts to its people. But the underlying themes are constant: protection of the young, cooperation, communication, creation, sharing of wisdom, ingenuity, and love. The paths to those milestones can vary wildly, but the result is the same. A world that proves itself is granted more tools to survive… and to thrive."

She frowned. "And the waves… are they not the trials?" Arianna thought back to the world announcement. The system had said they had overcome the first trial, but the first wave was still ongoing.

Timeless Waterfall nodded. "Yes and no, at the same time. A wave is the invasion that happens when a mana threshold is reached. Only one milestone may be fulfilled before or during each wave. Once a wave passes without a milestone being reached, a gift is lost forever. Even after the waves end, no power can restore what was not earned in time."

Arianna's thoughts raced. "So w… they must earn a gift every wave?"

"If they wish to claim them all… yes. The gifts make it easier to survive but are not necessary. Many worlds have survived without overcoming all the trials."

There was no judgment in their tone—only an ancient sadness. "Your avatars reached the first milestone during the first wave: protection of the young. That is why the system now shields dependents. It is a precious gift… and a rare one. Many worlds fail the first milestone. Most don't even know they exist."

Arianna exhaled slowly. "Six more to go. And we don't know when the second wave is coming."

Timeless Waterfall inclined their head. "It draws closer in its own time. Nobody knows when it will start. If you wish to help your avatars—and through them, this world—you must guide them to achieve another milestone. The system will not tell you what it is. That burden falls to you, Patron. Just know that you cannot tell your avatars about the system's origin and the milestones. You are not allowed to spread that knowledge, and it is not meant for mortals."

Arianna's gaze dropped to the mirrored surface of the nearby lake. Six more. One per wave. No second chances. And the clock was ticking.

Back in the quiet warmth of their bed, Arianna lay still, her thoughts circling restlessly like leaves on water.

The origin of the system, of the world or worlds, was swimming in her head. She couldn't believe how everything happened. Just how long had this been going on? Timeless Waterfall was ancient. She felt it when she interacted with them. But they were apparently one of the new deities, different from the Old Ones.

The Old Ones – something resonated within her when she thought of them. But she couldn't name the feeling the words brought up. There was just a jumble of emotions. And she had no idea where they came from. She hadn't heard of these beings before, hadn't known anything about them or the system. What was going on?

Setting aside these incomprehensible emotions, she turned her thoughts to the milestones. They hovered at the edges of her mind like a half-remembered dream: important, urgent, yet slippery. Every time she tried to focus on them, her thoughts turned sluggish, clouded. It was like trying to grasp smoke. There was a weight pressing against her consciousness, not external, but within, a silent warning that this was knowledge she was never meant to have. Mortal minds weren't built for divine secrets, and even though not even the system was sure of what exactly she was, she still felt the limits since right now it considered her mortal.

She grimaced softly. Just remembering the word "milestone" sent a dull throb through her temples. Still, she wouldn't stop. She couldn't. The gifts, or rewards as the world announcement back then had called it, were real, and they were powerful. Too powerful to ignore.

Even if it hurt to think about it, she'd keep trying. At least she had a direction now, vague as it was. Each wave, a chance. Each milestone, a demonstration of values, of sacrifice.

She shifted slightly, nestling closer to Cassis. His breathing was slow, steady, grounding her in the present. The future was uncertain, frightening in ways she couldn't fully articulate, but she wasn't facing it alone. Not anymore.

And it wasn't just Cassis. His family. Their little circle of friends. Bit by bit, she was building something real in this world. Something worth protecting.

She couldn't imagine going back to her original life in her old world. That life had been cold and hollow, filled with long, silent nights and a yawning loneliness no amount of distraction could cover. Here, things were dangerous, unpredictable, violent and life-threatening, but at least she was truly alive.

And she had a purpose now. Silently she gripped her necklace, thanking it, the magic, whatever it was. The necklace had given her a connection to Cassis, had brought her to this world. She felt the truth of that. At the beginning the necklace had helped her with her mana workings, but now it was suspiciously acting like an ordinary piece of jewellery. She had thought this before, but could there be a deity inside? Was there a way to say for sure? She didn't know.

She sighed and pressed her forehead gently against Cassis's shoulder, her thoughts quieting at last. She would see this world through. She would make sure they survived the waves. And then… they could live out their lives together, in peace. That was her dream. The only wish left in her heart.

With that vow unspoken but firm, she drifted into sleep, safe in his arms.

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