CHAPTER 2 – The Secret Beneath the Bride's Skin
Instead of panicking, Adrian smiled.
A slow...
Cold...
Terrifying smile.
"So... it finally awakened," he whispered.
Elena froze.
"What did you just say?"
Before anyone could react, Adrian grabbed her wrist.
His grip was impossibly strong.
The glowing mark on Elena's chest suddenly burst into brilliant golden light, forming the shape of magnificent wings across her skin.
Guests shielded their eyes.
Some thought it was a miracle.
Others believed it was a curse.
Only one old priest collapsed to his knees.
His face turned pale.
"No..." he whispered.
"It cannot be..."
He pulled an ancient leather journal from beneath the altar.
Inside was a faded drawing.
The exact same glowing symbol.
And beside it were words written over three hundred years ago.
"When the Phoenix Mark returns, one bloodline will rise... and another will perish forever."
Panic spread through the cathedral.
Adrian laughed.
Finally, the truth came out.
For generations, his family had hunted the last descendant of the Phoenix Bloodline.
Every woman carrying the mark possessed an extraordinary power that awakened only once...
On the day she truly pledged her life to another.
That was why Adrian had spent years earning Elena's trust.
Every date.
Every gift.
Every promise.
Every kiss.
Every word of love...
Had been nothing more than part of a carefully planned trap.
The wedding wasn't about marriage.
It was a ritual.
Once Elena accepted the ring, Adrian would steal the Phoenix power forever.
But fate had made one mistake.
The mark awakened too early.
Before Adrian could complete the ceremony.
Golden flames erupted around Elena.
The floor cracked beneath her feet.
Guests ran screaming toward the exits.
The cathedral shook as if an earthquake had struck.
Then...
A mysterious elderly woman appeared at the entrance.
She carried an old silver pendant identical to Elena's glowing symbol.
Looking directly at Elena, she shouted,
"Don't trust anyone... not even me."
Before Elena could respond—
A deafening explosion ripped through the cathedral roof.
The ceiling collapsed.
Smoke filled the air.
And when it finally cleared...
Adrian was gone.
The wedding ring remained on the floor.
Still glowing.
Still warm.
And inside it...
May you like
Someone heard a tiny heartbeat.
To Be Continued...
