The Rules of the Game

The Rules of the Game

Julius's mind was clouded with confusion. What did Casper mean by "we have to play now"? He couldn't stop himself from snapping, his voice edged with frustration.

"What the hell are you talking about?!"

Casper sighed, exasperation flickering across his features. "It's a cursed artifact—an exceptionally powerful one. No ordinary person can rid themselves of it… except for highly skilled sorcerers. But—there's another way to break free."

Julius's eyes widened at those words. "Tell me," he demanded without hesitation.

The air in the room thickened, an ominous pressure creeping in from the shadows. A haunting, melodic voice suddenly filled the space—its tune both enchanting and deeply unsettling.

"La… la… la… laaa… laaaaaaa…"

It was a woman's voice—soft, alluring, yet brimming with an eerie, inescapable malice.

Casper's entire posture tensed. He spun around sharply, his voice a razor's edge.

"Listen to me—all of you! The game is beginning. Follow its rules. Do not resist."

The room started to blur, its walls dissolving into nothingness as if consumed by an unseen force. Julius barely had a second to process what was happening before Casper turned toward him, Caleb, and the servants, his expression grim.

"You must play The Wedding Game."

Julius's thoughts twisted in confusion. "The Wedding Game?"

Casper barely managed to utter one last warning before his voice began to distort, breaking apart like a signal fading into static.

"No matter what happens… obey… the…"

Then—he was gone.

In the blink of an eye, Casper vanished.

Caleb's entire body trembled with fear as he instinctively grabbed onto Julius's coat. The boy's fingers clung desperately, his eyes wide with terror.

Julius understood. He, too, could feel the creeping unease clawing at his chest.

He placed a firm hand on Caleb's arm, trying to steady him. "Don't worry, Caleb, I will—"

The words caught in his throat.

Caleb… was gone.

Julius's heart pounded violently against his ribs. He whirled around, scanning his surroundings, but there was nothing—no Caleb, no Casper, no servants.

The room itself had vanished.

Not into darkness… but into something else.

A woman's voice—so beautiful it was almost divine—resounded once more.

"Knock, knock, knock, knock, knock—pretty girl has come."

"Knock, knock, knock, knock, knock—pretty girl, oh, just come."

The eerie lullaby echoed through the void.

Then—without warning—a house materialized before his eyes.

It was breathtaking. A quaint, picturesque home with a lush garden, overflowing with vibrantly colored flowers. A place that should have been peaceful, should have been inviting.

But the melody continued, looping endlessly, its cadence unwavering.

Julius's mind raced, trying to piece together Casper's fragmented words and the meaning behind this relentless song.

"The Wedding Game."

Casper said they had to play.

Julius tried to recall the last thing Casper had managed to say before he disappeared… but his memory felt fragmented. Disjointed.

One thing, however, was clear.

The song was repeating the same phrase.

"Knock, knock."

Knock on what?

The answer was obvious.

The front door.

Julius exhaled slowly, steeling himself. His instincts screamed at him to turn away, but logic told him otherwise. This is part of the game.

He stepped forward.

The garden gate was open.

As he passed through, he couldn't help but notice the abundance of flowers—each one different, some familiar, others completely foreign. The sheer variety was astonishing.

Who tends to a garden like this? he wondered absently.

Yet, beneath the beauty, that ominous feeling remained.

Every step closer to the house made his chest feel heavier, like an unseen weight was pressing down on him.

The melody still lingered in his ears.

Finally, he stood before the door.

His fingers hesitated for the briefest of moments. Then—he knocked.

A shallow, tentative rap.

The song… stopped.

Silence.

Then—

Creeeeeak.

The door swung open on its own.

Julius swallowed. This is the right path.

Despite the certainty, unease slithered through him. His body tensed instinctively as he stepped inside.

BOOM.

The door slammed shut behind him.

Julius whirled around. Gone. The entrance had vanished.

His instincts screamed. His hand darted toward his arm, ready to activate his Mark of the Shadow King—a technique he had inherited, one he had mastered through relentless training.

But nothing came.

No attack.

No movement.

Nothing.

The house was… normal.

Too normal.

Julius's eyes swept the space cautiously. The interior was small—just a simple living area, a bedroom, a kitchen, and a bath. Everything was neat, clean, untouched.

If not for the unsettling circumstances, he might have thought it was just an ordinary home.

Still, something was wrong.

He had seen nothing when he first entered. But now…

A letter sat neatly on the table in the center of the room.

Julius's brows furrowed. That letter—he was certain it hadn't been there before.

Stepping closer, he picked it up. The name on the envelope sent a strange chill down his spine.

"Cherie Lancer."

Who?

The name meant nothing to him. And yet…

A sense of foreboding curled in his gut.

He broke the seal.

The contents were simple. A love letter.

Cherie Lancer wrote about how her gratitude had slowly blossomed into love. She poured out her feelings, confessing her affection for someone named Jade.

And at the very end, a single question:

"I love you. Would you go out with me?"

Julius exhaled.

Then—

"Tooo-too-too-too-too-too-too—"

The song returned.

"Love or leave?"

His breath hitched.

The lyrics had changed.

Julius's fingers clenched around the letter.

He understood now.

The game was not just a game. It was a test.

And this was only the second one.

The song repeated, unwavering.

"Love or leave?"

"Love or leave?"

Julius had learned by now—these lyrics were instructions.

He had to choose.

And yet… he still didn't understand the true nature of this wedding game.

Elsewhere…

Caleb stood before a nearly identical house.

The melody reached his ears.

"Knock, knock, knock, knock, knock—pretty girl has come."

Despite the fear gripping his heart, he understood.

He had to go inside.

There was no other option.

Beyond this house, there was only darkness.

Caleb hesitated, then stepped forward.

The garden was just as vibrant as Julius's—a dazzling array of flowers in every color.

One, in particular, caught his eye.

A single, pristine white blossom.

A betula flower.

Caleb recognized it instantly.

His mother loved these flowers.

He had once promised to show her one.

The thought filled him with a fleeting warmth.

Almost without thinking, he reached out—fingers brushing against the delicate petals.

And then—

A voice.

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

A bloodcurdling scream ripped through the air.

The moment Caleb plucked the flower—

The world twisted.

And all light…

Vanished.

To be continued…