The Yokai’s Bride

Unplanned Problems

"To summarize," Leyla said, still trying to catch her breath. "We almost got crushed by the walls, a monster nearly ate us, and now we're standing in some damp cave holding... a small stone?"

Naru was happily flipping the shiny stone between his fingers. "That's right, princess."

"Great. My life has officially become a bad isekai plot."

Naru laughed and leaned against the wall, but he suddenly stopped when a part of the stone under his palm shifted. Suddenly, faint light spread through the cave, revealing ancient symbols on the walls.

"Okay... wasn't expecting this," Leyla said.

"Me neither, but you see... I love surprises."

"I love a quiet life, but look... I don't have that anymore."

Naru pressed the stone against one of the symbols, and almost instantly, the light intensified. The walls trembled as if they had become liquid, and suddenly, a stone gate appeared before them, adorned with intricate engravings.

"This looks... bad."

"This looks great!" Naru had already raised his hand to touch the door.

"NO! Wait!"

Too late.

As soon as his fingers touched the surface, the gate trembled and suddenly opened, pulling both of them inside as though sucked by an invisible force.

In the World of Shadows

Leyla opened her eyes and realized they were no longer in the cave.

Instead, they were in a gloomy, foggy space, where the ground was like black glass, and the light came from an unclear, invisible source. The air was thick, heavy, with a metallic scent.

"What did you do now?!"

"I'm not sure, but I can guarantee this is cool," Naru said, sounding way too relaxed for her liking.

Leyla clenched her fists. "I swear, once we get back to your castle, I'm throwing you out the window."

"Princess, you can't throw a prince out of his own window."

"Want to bet?"

Before he could answer, the space around them suddenly shifted. The fog thickened, then parted, revealing a figure watching them from a distance.

Tall, with glowing eyes and long shadowy robes that fluttered as if there were wind, even though there was none.

"Oh... this is definitely a bad sign," Leyla muttered.

Unlike her, Naru seemed calm. "Or a great sign."

The figure raised its hand, and the space around them shook.

Leyla quickly turned to Naru. "Please tell me you have a plan."

Naru smiled. "Of course. We run?"

"Oh, yes. Let's run."

And then the world exploded in light.

Uncomfortable Awakening

Leyla suddenly opened her eyes and realized she was lying on something soft.

"Oh, thank God, I'm not dead..." she muttered, but as she tried to move, she felt someone's hand across her waist.

Her eyes widened.

Slowly, she turned her head.

And, of course, she saw Naru peacefully sleeping beside her, leaning on his elbow, his face too close to hers.

"WHAT AM I DOING NEXT TO YOU?!" she screamed, instinctively shoving him away.

Naru rolled over and fell off the bed with a dull thud.

"Uhh... princess... a little gentler next time?" he muttered, getting up.

"WHY ARE YOU IN MY BED?!"

Naru blinked, then slowly looked around.

They were in a huge room with black stone walls, illuminated only by faint blue flames floating in the air. The bed Leyla was lying on was covered with a dark, soft blanket, and the floor beneath them was filled with thick mist.

"Well... I'm not sure this is your bed," Naru said, raising an eyebrow. "Where exactly are we?"

Leyla tried to ignore the rapid pounding of her heart and focused on the surroundings.

"I have no idea, but judging by the atmosphere, we're either in a trap or hell."

"Mmm... I'd say somewhere in between."

Before she could retort, a deep voice came from the darkness.

"The blood of destiny has finally arrived."

Leyla froze.

From the shadows emerged the same mysterious figure that had watched them earlier. He was even taller than he had appeared in the mist, his clothes dark and flowing, as if they weren't entirely part of this world. His face was partially hidden, but his eyes glowed with a red light.

"Leyla, my dear, if you have any 'savior legal knowledge' up your sleeve, now would be a good time," Naru whispered.

Leyla swallowed hard and straightened up.

"Who are you?"

The figure didn't answer immediately. He approached them, studying them with his gaze.

"You are the one we seek," he said, ignoring Naru. "The one who bears the mark."

Leyla furrowed her brows. "What mark?"

The figure simply smiled. "You already know."

Her gaze unconsciously slid to her wrist — the place where she had the small tattoo, the one Naru had recognized the first day they met.

"Okay... this is getting creepy," she said, hiding her hand behind her back.

"No need to fear," the figure said, but his tone was far from comforting. "Your arrival was inevitable. And now... it's time for you to awaken."

Leyla scowled. "I'm plenty awake, thank you very much."

The figure just smiled — and in the next moment, Leyla felt a sharp pain in her temple, as if someone were trying to rip the thoughts out of her head.

"NARUU!" she screamed, as her legs gave out beneath her.

Naru was already on his feet, pulling her towards him and standing between her and the mysterious man.

"That's enough. If you want something, speak directly." The figure raised his hand, and in the next moment, the world around them shifted again.

New Realization

Leyla blinked and realized they were no longer in the black room.

They were standing in the middle of an ancient temple. The walls were covered in inscriptions she couldn't read, but what shocked her was the mirror.

A large, golden mirror stood in the middle of the room, and in it...

She didn't see her own reflection.

She saw something else.

A silhouette of a girl, but not her. Her hair was longer, her eyes glowed in a way that wasn't natural. And worst of all — her wrist, the place where Leyla had the small tattoo, glowed with bright red light in the reflection.

Leyla swallowed hard.

"What... what is this?"

The mysterious figure stood behind her, but his reflection wasn't in the mirror.

"Your true identity," he said.