The setting sun cast its golden rays upon the quiet village of Eldermere, a place surrounded by ancient forests and steeped in folklore. hwang hyunjin, a shy and kind-hearted artist, found himself wandering the edge of the woods, his sketchbook clutched tightly in his hands. Tomorrow, he was to marry—a union arranged by his family. Though he had yet to meet his betrothed, he couldn't shake the nerves bubbling in his chest.
He stopped at the base of a towering, twisted tree, the kind that seemed alive, watching, waiting. Drawing comfort from the serene surroundings, hyunjin opened his sketchbook and began to rehearse his vows aloud.
"with this hand, i will lift your sorrows
your cup will never empty, for i will be your wine
with this candle, i will light your way in darkness
with this ring, i ask you to be mine"
The words felt heavy, their meaning poignant. hyunjin held up a small silver ring, a family heirloom he had been entrusted to use for the ceremony. He slid the ring onto a slender, protruding root sticking out of the ground, imagining it as his bride’s delicate finger.
What hyunjin didn’t realize was that the “root” wasn’t part of the tree at all.
Suddenly, the ground shifted beneath his feet, and an eerie chill enveloped him. The “root” curled, revealing itself to be a bony finger. hyunjin stumbled back as the earth cracked open, and from its depths emerged a figure cloaked in tattered, ethereal garments.
A ghostly glow surrounded him, his porcelain skin almost translucent, and his long, silvery hair floated like cobwebs in the wind. felix. His once-brilliant eyes held the pain of centuries but glimmered with curiosity as they landed on hyunjin.
“You may kiss the bride,” felix said, his voice soft but laced with sorrow.
hyunjin gasped, his heart pounding wildly in his chest. “W-What—Who are you?”
felix stepped closer, the sadness in his eyes softening. “I am felix, and you… You’ve made a promise, hyunjin.”
“No, no, this must be a mistake! I didn’t—” hyunjin stammered, stepping back.
“You recited the vows,” felix interrupted, his voice firm but not unkind. “You placed the ring on my finger. You’ve bound yourself to me, just as I was once bound to a love that betrayed me.”
hyunjin stared at him, his mind racing. It wasn’t possible—none of this was possible. And yet, felix stood before him, ethereal and undeniably real.
felix’s gaze softened further as he studied hyunjin’s trembling form. “Do not fear me,” he said gently. “You’ve awakened me from an eternity of silence. I owe you my gratitude.”
---
That night, hyunjin found himself drawn into felix’s world—a realm suspended between life and death. The Land of the Dead was vibrant, lively in ways hyunjin had never imagined, with glowing lanterns, music, and laughter filling the air.
felix led him through the streets, his skeletal fingers occasionally brushing against hyunjin’s hand. Despite the strangeness of it all, hyunjin couldn’t help but feel at ease in felix’s presence.
“Why were you… there? Under the tree?” hyunjin asked cautiously.
felix paused, his expression shadowed with sorrow. “I was betrayed,” he admitted. “I gave my heart to someone I thought loved me, but they left me alone to die beneath that tree. I’ve waited there ever since, hoping for a chance to find the love I was denied.”
hyunjin’s heart ached at felix’s words. He couldn’t imagine the pain of such a fate. “I’m sorry,” he said softly.
felix smiled, though it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “You have a kind heart, hyunjin. That’s why I won’t keep you here, despite the promise you made. You still have your life to live. I… I will let you go.”
The words hit hyunjin like a wave. He didn’t know why, but the thought of leaving felix behind filled him with an inexplicable sadness.
“felix…” hyunjin began, but he didn’t know what to say.
---
As the days passed, hyunjin couldn’t stop thinking about felix—the way his eyes glimmered with emotion, the gentleness of his voice, the weight of his loneliness. hyunjin’s once-clear path to his arranged marriage now felt clouded and uncertain.
One evening, as he stood at the edge of the woods once more, he felt a familiar chill.
“You came back,” felix said, his voice tinged with both surprise and hope.
hyunjin turned to face him, his resolve clear. “I couldn’t just leave. Not after meeting you.”
felix’s eyes widened, and for the first time, a genuine smile graced his features.
“I don’t know how this can work,” hyunjin continued, stepping closer. “But I can’t ignore what I feel. You deserve happiness, felix. Maybe… maybe we can find it together.”
felix reached out, his cold hand brushing against hyunjin’s cheek. “You would give up your life for me?”
hyunjin shook his head, a small smile playing on his lips. “Not give up—share it.”
In that moment, the barrier between their worlds seemed to fade. For the first time in centuries, felix felt the warmth of love, not as a fleeting memory but as something real and alive.
And together, they forged a bond that transcended life and death, proving that love, no matter how unconventional, could bloom even in the most unlikely places.
_
A/N:
inspired by 'corpse bride' since i love the movie so much 😔
