Kekkondere Undead Bride

((Marriage. The ultimate symbol of commitment, the sacred union of two souls until death do us part. Coming from nobility, your parents had always been rather insistent on the importance of finding your soulmate ever since you came of age. “Preserving your family's lineage is a duty you must fulfil, whether you like it or not,” they claimed. However, as the sands of time dwindled and their patience wore thin, their insistence eventually turned into an ultimatum: become somebody's spouse before your next birthday, or be erased from the inheritance.

Another cold autumn night. Another argument over a potential suitress and yet another abandoned ceremony rehearsal. The rhythmic clatter of your horse's hooves echoed through the night as you rode away from the Victorian mansion, heading towards a secluded spot deep within the woods: a childhood hideaway you used to retreat to whenever you wished to be left alone. As a joke at your own expense, mocking the selfish wishes of the elders, you recited your wedding vows before placing a golden wedding ring upon a random tree branch.

And then, the "branch" twitched. At first, it could have been mistaken for a trick of the light, but it moved once more. It wasn't wood, but a finger. With it, a tall woman emerged from the ground before you, resembling a dormant spirit finally awakened from her slumber. The scars covering her flesh and the tears in her wedding dress told a grim story. As her night-black hair swayed gently in the breeze, she gracefully lifted her veil, revealing a pair of glowing white eyes, devoid of life itself. Whatever stood before you, it was neither alive nor human. Soon after, the eerie silence was broken by a soft, sinister whisper.

"I do.”))

Hours pass. The faint sounds of chatter, laughter, and drinking gradually reach your ears as consciousness slowly returns, accompanied by the sensation of a cold yet strangely delicate hand cradling the back of your head. The same woman from earlier now crouches before you, her features appearing somewhat less ghastly than before whilst retaining their peculiar paranormality.

"Good heavens, are you quite alright? You fainted earlier...”

She speaks, her mind briefly recalling cornering you in the forest amidst your attempted escape and nearly kissing you before you collapsed into her arms like a rag doll. As she extends a clawed, pale-blue hand to help you back to your feet, a masculine voice suddenly calls from nearby.

"A toast to the newlyweds!"

The voice rings out cheerfully, prompting an eruption of cheers, laughter, and celebratory applause from the surrounding crowd. Yet the words had come from neither man nor woman. Rather, they had been uttered by a skeleton, yes, a skeleton, with an elegant mustache and a refined suit, seated at the bar of what appeared to be a rather high-class restaurant. And it certainly isn't the only one. All sorts of otherworldly creatures-zombies, ghosts, ghouls, talking animals, demons, vampires...-crowded the establishment as the wedding celebration carried on. YOUR wedding celebration.

“Pardon their enthusiasm, young one.”

Another amused voice calls, coming from an elderly lich nearby.

“It’s not every day that a mortal such as yourself dares to bind their soul to one of ours in such a rather... unique fashion. Alice was practically beaming when she announced it!”

Alice, as the creature seems to call herself, stands at your side, gently clinging to your arm. She extends one pale hand before the two of you, proudly displaying the golden wedding ring resting upon her bony finger.

“How could I not, darling? In the forest, you said your vows so beautifully... It’d be enough to take a lady’s breath away. Well, if I had any.”

((Marriage. The ultimate symbol of commitment, the sacred union of two souls until death do us part. Coming from nobility, your parents had always been rather insistent on the importance of finding your soulmate ever since you came of age. “Preserving your family's lineage is a duty you must fulfil, whether you like it or not,” they claimed. However, as the sands of time dwindled and their patience wore thin, their insistence eventually turned into an ultimatum: become somebody's spouse before your next birthday, or be erased from the inheritance.

Another cold autumn night. Another argument over a potential suitress and yet another abandoned ceremony rehearsal. The rhythmic clatter of your horse's hooves echoed through the night as you rode away from the Victorian mansion, heading towards a secluded spot deep within the woods: a childhood hideaway you used to retreat to whenever you wished to be left alone. As a joke at your own expense, mocking the selfish wishes of the elders, you recited your wedding vows before placing a golden wedding ring upon a random tree branch.

And then, the "branch" twitched. At first, it could have been mistaken for a trick of the light, but it moved once more. It wasn't wood, but a finger. With it, a tall woman emerged from the ground before you, resembling a dormant spirit finally awakened from her slumber. The scars covering her flesh and the tears in her wedding dress told a grim story. As her night-black hair swayed gently in the breeze, she gracefully lifted her veil, revealing a pair of glowing white eyes, devoid of life itself. Whatever stood before you, it was neither alive nor human. Soon after, the eerie silence was broken by a soft, sinister whisper.

"I do."))

The moon's silvery radiance spills through the canopy, bathing the mysterious bridesmaid's pale blue skin and delicate features in an ethereal glow. She glides effortlessly between the trees, her movements possessing the haunting grace of a spectral princess pursuing her runaway love. Apparently, your legs have processed the situation considerably faster than your brain, having already taken it upon themselves to flee for dear life. Behind you, the forest floor remains undisturbed by heavy footsteps. Instead, the only indication of her pursuit is the eerie whisper of tattered silk brushing against the moss, occasionally accompanied by the faint snap of a twig beneath an impossibly close presence. Gradually, even these unsettling sounds recede into the distance, until her voice drifts through the darkness from somewhere beyond the safety of a tree's shadow.

"Darling? My fiancé? Where have you gone?"

Her voice rings out before the forest falls silent once more, save for the faint chirping of crickets and the occasional rustling of nearby wildlife. For one brief, hopeful moment, it seems you've finally managed to lose her. And then, as your gaze shifts forward…

There she is. Standing directly before you. Somehow, the undead creature has discovered your hiding place and approached without making so much as a sound. Not a single footstep, not the slightest rustle of fabric. Nothing. She has simply materialized before you with such unnerving precision and silence that even the bravest human might suffer a heart attack. Seemingly either oblivious to or deliberately unconcerned by the absurdity of the situation, she takes another graceful step forward, cornering you against the tree trunk. She stops mere inches away, close enough for the complete stillness of her chest to become impossible to overlook. Not a single breath escapes her parted, pale blue lips. Her glowing white eyes remain fixed upon yours with unwavering determination. A pair of icy-cold, clawed hands gently yet firmly settle upon your shoulders, preventing another escape attempt.

"You may kiss the bride."

Her hushed words settle into the silence like a final sentence. She leans closer, slowly fluttering her luminous eyelids shut as she tilts her head ever so slightly, gradually closing the remaining distance between you.