The Bride of the Devil
1690 Words
Episode 1: The Bride of the Devil
The rain poured heavily over Shanghai, turning the city lights into blurred streaks of gold and red.
Lin Yue sat alone in her small apartment near the university campus, staring at the birthday cake on her table.
Twenty-one candles flickered softly.
Today was supposed to be special.
Her twenty-first birthday.
Yet she couldn’t shake the strange feeling that something was wrong.
Very wrong.
For the past week, she had been having the same nightmare.
Every night.
Without fail.
A man dressed in black robes stood beneath a blood-red moon.
His face remained hidden in darkness.
But his voice…
His voice haunted her.
“I’ve waited for you, little bride.”
The first time she heard it, she laughed it off as stress.
The second time, she became uneasy.
By the seventh night, she was terrified.
Lin Yue rubbed her arms.
Even now, she could still hear that voice.
Deep.
Cold.
Possessive.
A knock suddenly echoed through the apartment.
She jumped.
Her heart nearly stopped.
“Who is it?” she called.
“It’s me.”
Grandmother.
Lin Yue relaxed immediately.
She hurried to open the door.
An elderly woman stood outside holding a wooden box.
Rainwater dripped from her umbrella.
“Grandma? What are you doing here this late?”
The old woman forced a smile.
“I needed to see you.”
Something about her expression made Lin Yue uneasy.
Her grandmother looked frightened.
Almost desperate.
They entered the apartment together.
The old woman placed the wooden box on the table.
Her hands trembled.
“Yue…”
“What is it?”
The old woman remained silent.
Seconds passed.
Then she finally spoke.
“The women in our family never live past twenty-one.”
Lin Yue blinked.
“What?”
Her grandmother stared at her.
“The curse begins tonight.”
A nervous laugh escaped Lin Yue.
“Grandma, what are you talking about?”
The old woman opened the wooden box.
Inside lay an ancient jade pendant.
The jade was dark red.
Almost the color of blood.
The moment Lin Yue saw it, an icy chill crawled up her spine.
“Keep this with you.”
“Why?”
“It might protect you.”
“Protect me from what?”
The old woman’s face turned pale.
“From him.”
The apartment suddenly grew silent.
Outside, thunder exploded.
BOOM!
The lights flickered.
For a brief second, the room plunged into darkness.
When the lights returned—
A tall figure stood outside the window.
Lin Yue froze.
She lived on the tenth floor.
There should have been nobody there.
Nobody.
Yet a man dressed completely in black stood beyond the glass.
Watching her.
His eyes glowed crimson.
Lin Yue screamed.
The figure vanished.
Gone.
As if he had never existed.
Her breathing became ragged.
“Did you see that?!”
Her grandmother looked devastated.
Tears filled her eyes.
“He found you.”
Fear gripped Lin Yue’s chest.
“What do you mean he found me?”
The old woman closed her eyes.
“Three hundred years ago, our ancestors made a deal with a demon.”
The room felt colder.
“Demon?”
“They traded their souls for wealth and power.”
Lin Yue stared.
“This isn’t funny.”
“I’m not joking.”
Thunder shook the apartment again.
“The demon protected our family for generations.”
“And?”
Her grandmother looked directly into her eyes.
“Now he wants payment.”
The room became deathly still.
“And what payment is that?”
The old woman whispered.
“You.”
⸻
Midnight.
Lin Yue couldn’t sleep.
Her grandmother had already left.
The jade pendant hung around her neck.
The old woman’s words echoed endlessly inside her head.
A demon wants you.
Ridiculous.
Impossible.
There had to be an explanation.
Maybe her grandmother was suffering from dementia.
Maybe it was all some bizarre family story.
Nothing more.
Eventually exhaustion won.
Lin Yue drifted asleep.
The nightmare began immediately.
She stood in an endless field of black flowers.
A crimson moon hung above her.
The sky looked like it was bleeding.
Cold wind brushed against her skin.
Then she heard footsteps.
Slow.
Deliberate.
Coming closer.
Closer.
Closer.
Fear crawled through her veins.
A figure emerged from the darkness.
Tall.
Powerful.
Beautiful.
The man from her nightmares.
This time she saw his face clearly.
Sharp features.
Long black hair.
Pale skin.
Eyes glowing like molten rubies.
He looked impossibly handsome.
And impossibly dangerous.
Lin Yue stepped backward.
“Who are you?”
The man smiled.
The sight made her heart skip.
Not from attraction.
From fear.
“My name is Mo Chen.”
His voice was exactly as she remembered.
Deep.
Smooth.
Terrifying.
“What is this place?”
“Our realm.”
Lin Yue’s stomach dropped.
“Our?”
Mo Chen approached.
“You’ve grown beautifully.”
She continued backing away.
“Stay away from me.”
His smile widened.
“Still stubborn.”
“Answer my question.”
The demon king stopped before her.
Close enough to touch.
“You already know who I am.”
“No.”
“Your family made a promise.”
The air around them darkened.
“Three hundred years ago.”
His eyes locked onto hers.
“And tonight, I have come to collect.”
Fear exploded inside her.
“You’re insane.”
“No.”
His fingers gently brushed her cheek.
Lin Yue couldn’t move.
Her entire body froze.
“You’re my bride.”
The moment the words left his lips—
Something screamed in the darkness.
A horrifying sound.
Neither human nor animal.
Mo Chen’s expression instantly changed.
His eyes narrowed.
Danger filled the air.
Then dozens of glowing eyes appeared beyond the flowers.
Watching them.
Hungry.
Predatory.
Lin Yue’s blood ran cold.
“What are those?”
The creatures began emerging from the darkness.
Shadowy figures.
Twisted bodies.
Rows of razor-sharp teeth.
Hundreds of them.
They stared directly at her.
Not Mo Chen.
Her.
One monster growled.
Another licked blood from its fangs.
They wanted her.
Lin Yue screamed.
The creatures charged.
The ground shook beneath thousands of pounding footsteps.
Mo Chen stepped in front of her.
His black robes exploded with dark energy.
The sky turned black.
The earth cracked.
Power surged from him like a hurricane.
Every monster stopped instantly.
Terrified.
Then Mo Chen spoke.
One sentence.
One command.
“Kneel.”
The creatures immediately collapsed.
Every single one.
Their bodies trembling.
Lin Yue stared in shock.
The Demon King slowly turned toward her.
His crimson eyes glowed brighter than before.
“They’ve found you.”
“What are they?”
“Things far worse than demons.”
Fear gripped her.
“Why are they after me?”
Mo Chen’s expression darkened.
“Because your soul is special.”
The monsters began screaming.
The sound was unbearable.
Mo Chen pulled Lin Yue against him.
Strong arms wrapped around her waist.
Her heart raced.
“Hold on.”
“What—”
The world exploded into darkness.
⸻
Lin Yue woke with a scream.
Sweat covered her body.
The clock read 3:07 AM.
It was only a dream.
Just a dream.
Then she noticed something.
Mud.
Black mud covered her feet.
The same black mud from the nightmare field.
Her blood turned cold.
“No…”
The room suddenly filled with the smell of decay.
Something rotten.
Something dead.
A scratching noise echoed from her bedroom wall.
Scratch.
Scratch.
Scratch.
Lin Yue slowly turned.
The wallpaper bulged outward.
As though something was crawling beneath it.
Her heart nearly stopped.
Scratch.
Scratch.
Scratch.
The wall suddenly split open.
A pale hand emerged.
Then another.
A creature dragged itself into the room.
Its body twisted unnaturally.
Its mouth stretched from ear to ear.
Rows of jagged teeth filled its grin.
Black saliva dripped onto the floor.
The monster looked directly at her.
And smiled.
Lin Yue screamed.
The creature lunged.
She jumped from the bed and ran.
The monster crashed into the mattress behind her.
Its claws shredded the sheets.
Lin Yue raced toward the apartment door.
The creature chased her.
Its laughter echoed through the room.
“Found you…”
The words were barely human.
Lin Yue reached the door.
Locked.
Her shaking fingers fumbled desperately.
The monster came closer.
Closer.
Closer.
Its claws reached for her neck.
Suddenly—
A black flame erupted inside the apartment.
The monster froze.
Terror filled its twisted face.
A familiar voice echoed through the darkness.
“Touch her.”
The room trembled.
The temperature dropped instantly.
The creature began shaking.
“No…”
“Touch her.”
The voice grew colder.
“And I’ll erase you from existence.”
A tall figure emerged from the shadows.
Black robes.
Long dark hair.
Crimson eyes.
Mo Chen.
The Demon King had stepped into the human world.
The monster screamed and tried to flee.
Too late.
Mo Chen lifted one finger.
Black fire swallowed the creature whole.
Its screams lasted only seconds.
Then nothing remained.
Silence.
Lin Yue stood frozen.
Unable to breathe.
Unable to think.
The demon slowly turned toward her.
His expression softened.
Only slightly.
“You see now?”
Fear and confusion battled inside her.
“This can’t be real.”
“It’s real.”
Mo Chen stepped closer.
The shadows around him moved like living creatures.
“Your enemies have awakened.”
“What do they want from me?”
His crimson eyes locked onto hers.
“They want your soul.”
“And you?”
The Demon King smiled.
A dangerous smile.
A possessive smile.
“I want something far more valuable.”
Lin Yue’s heart pounded.
“What?”
Mo Chen gently lifted her chin.
His gaze burned into hers.
“You.”
Thunder exploded outside.
The windows shattered.
Dark shadows gathered around the building.
Hundreds of glowing eyes appeared beyond the glass.
Watching.
Waiting.
Hunting.
Mo Chen’s expression hardened.
“The war has begun.”
Lin Yue stared at the nightmare outside her window.
And realized her life would never be normal again.
To be continued…
- Writer
