At the same time, amidst the loud cheers of the crowd, an old-looking man with graying hair and a white beard, along with narrow eyes, approached us, accompanied by an elderly woman.
The old woman led the frail-looking man by the hand, as if he could barely walk. They smiled at me.
Happy newlyweds… As the village heads, we now marry the two of you in the presence of the villagers.
The old woman came to us and took our hands, joining them together. She placed her hand over ours…
May the gods bless you too...
All eyes were on us, smiling. The old woman then released our hands and simply stood there, as if waiting for something.
What are they waiting for? I thought to myself. I didn't know what to do—after all, this was my first time getting married in this world. I glanced at my soon-to-be wife. She was also looking at me, waiting for something.
Haru's daughter stared at the two of them but grew annoyed because it was taking too long. She tugged at Fyrel's pants repeatedly with her thumb and index finger.
He noticed, and Haru gestured for him to come closer. He bent down slightly, and Haru whispered into his ear:
You need to kiss my mother, Father… What are you waiting for?
She then took a small step back and winked at me. I straightened up and looked at her mother.
Let's be realistic… it's just a kiss, so no big deal.
I leaned in, pressing my lips to hers. Not wanting to seem awkward, I kept my eyes open while she closed hers.
Lips met lips—the softness between us was indescribable. Something stirred in my heart, a craving for more, but this was just a symbol of our marriage.
Thump… Thump… I felt something trigger my power, but this time, it came with a sharp pain, as if my soul was being ripped from my body. Time froze once again.
I was shocked. Above her head, something was emerging—a ghostly figure, like a spirit being pulled out of her.
Grrrrrr… Our eyes met. I pulled my lips away from hers, but the spectral figure slowly retreated back into her head.
Did my kiss trigger that thing to come out?
Curiosity burned inside me, and I wanted to kiss her again. But as I looked at her, embarrassment crept in when I saw her frozen expression mid-kiss in the stopped time.
I'm sorry… just let me kiss you one more time,I muttered to myself, right in front of her face.
I kissed her again—and once more, that terrifying spirit emerged: eyeless, with white hair that seemed to be falling out and skin that looked like it was peeling away.
The terrifying spirit struggled to return—its strength was no joke, making it incredibly hard to pull out completely.
Should I use my tongue for better control?Hell no, I should respect her...
I thought of another way and tried grabbing the spirit instead. Raising my hand, I attempted to touch the spectral form hovering over her head. My wrist instantly went cold, as if frozen, and my fingers locked up—like they were stuck on something invisible.
Looks like I can touch it, at least.
Summoning all my strength, I yanked hard—and the spirit tore free from her body. I stumbled back, clutching the writhing entity in my left hand while her unconscious form slumped forward, face covered. I squeezed tighter, and—poof—the spirit vanished like a wisp of smoke.
Looks like everything's settled..
Time was still frozen, but suddenly, my vision blurred. This feeling… I'd experienced it before, back in my original world—like the dizzying drop before fainting.
Slowly, darkness swallowed my sight. At that moment, Fyrel—eyes still shut—collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
Just before time resumed, his body began moving on its own, lifelessly returning to its original position mid-kiss. As time lurched forward again, Fyrel slumped into his wife's arms, his head dropping onto her shoulder.
Muffled screams of panic buzzed in his ears like distant echoes, until—at last—everything went black.
Everyone was shocked when Fyrel suddenly collapsed. He was a bit tall and heavy, making it hard for her to hold him. Two men who had witnessed the wedding rushed over to support his unconscious body.
The old woman called out to her Haru mother, Hwaryn Sukuta...then softly asked, Hwa, may I hold your hand for a moment?
Hwa nodded and extended her right hand toward the elderly woman. The old woman gently grasped the tip of Hwa's index finger and closed her eyes.
The scene shifted to darkness—an empty, pitch-black void where the old woman now stood alone. When she opened her eyes, her pupils expanded, swallowing the whites until her entire eyes were black. A faint glow emerged as her tapetum lucidum reflected light, making them shine like a cat's in the dark. With this blessing, she could now see eight times better in the darkness.
She sat in the center of the abyss. Her lips moved, whispering an invocation:
Since you are always here...
Come forth, O creature of God.
I await you.
I have words to speak.
Drink a drop of my blood as your payment.
The old woman then bit the tip of her middle finger and let her blood drip onto the ground, forming a ritual circle with a lozenge shape at its center—a perfect parallelogram with four equal sides, now filled with blood.
As she raised her finger, the last drop of blood fell. The moment it touched the circle, a fierce wind howled around her. She lifted her head—and there, inches from her face, sat a grotesque creature:
- Glowing red eyes
- A long, writhing tongue
- Wrinkled, slimy skin
- Gill-like holes lining its body
Their eyes locked. Drool from the creature's tongue dripped onto the blood sigil, corroding the design before bursting into flames, erasing it completely.
Grrrrr... It's been a long time, old woman.Its voice grated like rusted metal. You're still not afraid of me... same as always.