I once heard a story about a girl who had been abandoned by the world. After her father ran away and her mother committed suicide, she had no one left. She wandered aimlessly, rejected by her surroundings, outcast and unwelcome, until she finally got lost in a dark and cold forest. When all hope was gone and despair had enveloped her, an archaic Magus in the form of a half-dragon man approached her. The girl told the magus that she no longer cared about the world and herself. She didn't care if she lived or died. Instead, the magus took her to a hut in the middle of a green meadow and took care of her. He gave the girl home, food, clothing, and even an education. The magus always told the girl to stand tall and keep her eyes straight. No matter what happened, she had to keep moving forward, keep living to leave the bad memories behind and move forward to reach new hopes.
I was a little envious of that girl because even though she had lived a very hard life, she was finally able to find someone to depend on, who never got bored even though the girl didn't mind if she was eventually discarded, and took care of her at all times. I always hope that when I leave my home, I can find a place to depend on and achieve happiness. I always wished the girl in the story was me.
But it seemed impossible. It was just a bedtime story after all.
The carriage came to a sudden halt, sending my body staggering forward. Luckily, the moment the horse carrying me whinnied, I snapped out of my reverie, before I completely collapsed and fell into the lap of Father who was sitting opposite me.
"We're here." Nicolas appeared in the glass doorway of the carriage, and opened the door for me and Father. He took my hand, which felt the cold air that was blowing so hard out here, and led me to the ground where I would spend the rest of my life—perhaps.
Coatless and clad only in a plain white dress, I stood on an unfamiliar ground in the middle of a dark forest that was already almost completely covered by a white blanket created by the ice pellets falling from the sky above. From beneath the brocade hood covering my head, my eyes wandered around. There were only trees as far as the eye could see. There wasn't a single speck of light, not even from the fireflies looking for mates—of course it was winter. I wasn't sure if I would actually 'live and stay' with that creature.
"We can only get you here," Father said. A puff of white smoke came out of his mouth, which was almost covered by a thick woolen scarf.
"We're sorry, Milady. We can't take you any further," Nicolas continued.
No more words were exchanged. Not even a goodbye. As soon as we got off the train, all Father did was stare at me for a few seconds, then turn away and walk back to the carriage. Even though I've often gotten similar expressions, for some reason this time I felt very sick. Maybe it's true....
Nicolas walked over to me, his face filled with regret. "I'm sorry, Milady. Great Master..."
"It's okay, Nicolas." I tried to smile even though the cold air and my father's attitude made me want to cry more.
"Okay then." My smile transmitted to Nicolas as well. "Take care of yourself."
The carriage carrying me began to leave the forest, followed by the horses carrying the men who had escorted me. Father's haggard face was reflected in the window pane of the carriage, he looked so exhausted.
The light of the dimly colored oil lamp began to fade away, slowly becoming a small dot that eventually disappeared into the darkness. Now I was alone, in the middle of the cold forest. No light, no warmth. The strong wind fluttered my white hood, waving wildly as if to show the face of the bride of the unknown creature to the mocking nature.
I didn't know what to do as the temperature around me dropped. If only there was a path or something that could lead me to my destination, I would go. Only, there's no other path in this small land other than the one we were on a moment ago. This land was surrounded by rows of trees that barely provided an opening for a path that could lead me somewhere—at least that was what I could see at the moment. The darkness that enveloped the entire forest seemed to blind anyone who tried to break through it. But I was sure, there was a path that could lead me to my destination. It's just that the darkness is covering it.
The sound of rustling shrubs broke the silence, making my body, which had been sitting for a moment, rise abruptly. Unconsciously, I took a few steps back, then turned my head to every side that my vision could catch, looking for where the sound must have come from. However, my eyes couldn't penetrate the darkness that surrounded me, while the rustling sound bothered me even more. Something was watching me, but I didn't know what it was.
It was now so quiet that even the wind was reluctant to return. For a moment I felt calm. Maybe it was just a small mammal taking advantage of the dark night to forage—I tried to think positively despite the fact that no small mammals would come out in winter as they were all hibernating. However, that feeling of relief disappeared instantly when my ears caught the sound of a wild animal roar that sounded very close. My legs felt weak, and my body felt shaky. The fear returned and intensified when I felt the presence of the growling thing behind me. I had the courage to turn around, but there was nothing behind me. My eyes darted around, but I didn't catch anything. Instead of feeling relieved, my heart was beating faster. My breath was already running out because of the fear that kept draining the air in my lungs. I was afraid that it would be a wolf or a hungry bear.
Wait! Or maybe it's....
"So you're the bride they promised?"