Chapter Six – Invasion Night
"Every garden must weather the storm."
Wednesday arrived, and with it, a weight I couldn't shake. The System's warning had been clear since Friday:
[Rival Invasion Event Imminent]
[Fan Expectation: A]
[Main Event Control: Unstable]
I tightened the straps on my gauntlets, listening to the locker room hum with nervous energy. Jingles bounced in place, juggling steel chairs instead of balls. Blob oozed across the floor, leaving puddles no one dared step in. Lilith sat on a bench like a queen, crimson smile fixed on me.
"You're ready for this, Rose?" she asked.
I lied with confidence. "Of course."
Opening Promo – The Calm Before the Storm
The arena thundered as my music hit. I walked through crimson smoke, mask hiding the storm in my chest.
"WE ARE THE GARDEN!" the crowd roared.
I raised the mic. "Friday night, we sent the Shadow Envoys running. Tonight, they said they'd invade. So here I am, standing in the middle of my ring, mask on, thorns sharp, waiting for them. Because this Garden doesn't bow to shadows—"
The titantron snapped to static.
The crowd gasped.
Black-clad figures stormed the arena—three Shadow Envoys, masked, moving like phantoms.
The bell rang without warning.
Match One – The Unbooked Brawl
Titan sprinted down the ramp before I could even call for help, knee taped, fury in his eyes.
"Get back!" he shouted, throwing himself at the Envoys.
Steel clashed against flesh. One Envoy smashed a chair across Titan's back. He staggered, then lifted the man over his shoulders and powerbombed him into the mat.
The crowd went nuclear.
But two more Envoys swarmed, stomping him down. I slid in, fists flying, mask slipping with sweat. My Thorn's Fate cracked one across the mat, but another Envoy blindsided me with a kick to the ribs.
It wasn't a match. It was a mugging.
The ref rang the bell in chaos.
Result: No Contest (Fan Rating: A for Shock)
Backstage Fallout – The Roster Splits
We stumbled into the locker room, bodies bruised. Revenant Knight stood waiting, arms crossed.
"You were unprepared," he said flatly.
"Uninvited guests tend to do that," I snapped back.
Jingles piped up, "Next time, I'll hit them with balloon animals!"
Even Lilith smirked at that, but the tension hung heavy.
The System chimed:
[Faction Loyalty Check Activated]
Titan: 85% Stable
Lilith: 60% Volatile
Revenant Knight: 70% Unstable
Pixie Riot: 55% Chaotic
They were testing me. Testing us.
Match Two – Lilith vs. Eternal Envoy
I booked a match on the fly, because the only answer to chaos is fire.
Lilith's music hit—blood-red light flooding the arena. She slid into the ring, licking her lips. "One of you shadows wants me? Come bleed for it."
An Envoy accepted.
The fight was vicious. Lilith countered every hold with venom, taunting him with whispers the crowd couldn't hear. She wrapped him in her submission, "Thorn's Kiss," wrenching until his mask nearly cracked.
He tapped.
The fans exploded.
Winner: Lilith (Fan Rating: A- for Heat)
Backstage, she brushed past me, breath hot in my ear. "See? When they come for you, I'm the one who bleeds them first."
Main Event – Lady Rose vs. Shadow Envoy Leader
The lights cut again. A new Envoy stepped forward—taller, sharper, mask etched with gold.
The crowd fell into a hush.
"This is our leader," the announcer whispered through trembling lips.
I walked to the ring, heart hammering. No promos, no stalling—just fight.
The bell rang.
He was faster, stronger. Every strike rattled my bones, every slam stole the air from my lungs. But I refused to break.
I countered with Thorn's Fate. Near fall—two and a half.
The fans screamed.
I climbed the ropes, lungs burning, mask slick with sweat. The crowd chanted:
"ROSE! ROSE! ROSE!"
I launched—Petal's End, double stomp from the top.
One! Two—kickout!
The arena erupted.
The Envoy's hand clamped around my throat, lifting me sky-high before crashing me into the mat.
One. Two. Three.
Winner: Shadow Envoy Leader (Fan Rating: A+ for Drama)
Closing Angle
I rolled to the ropes, coughing blood. Titan tried to rush out, but more Envoys blocked him. The leader leaned over me, voice sharp as glass.
"You are not the Garden. You are prey. Next week, the war begins."
He left me broken in the ring.
The System's voice echoed in my skull:
[Wednesday Live Complete – Rating: A]
[Fan Count: +2,000]
[New Event Unlocked: Faction Wars – The Garden vs. Eternal Wrestling]
Backstage, Titan caught me as I collapsed. "We'll get them," he growled.
I forced a smile through the pain. "Then we'd better grow sharper thorns."