I huddled in one of the corners, unsure what to do. I didn't expect to be naked in the forest like a water fairy when I woke up this morning.
A light breeze, filled with the scent of jasmine caused my skin to prickle heightening every sense I had. A haunting melody of the stringed instrument began to play, accompanied by a low melodious chant. The pool began to glow as though lit with an ethereal light. Trepidation and anticipation rose as the air around me crackled.
The soft rustle of silk reached my ears. I turned to see a woman approaching.
A large green amulet hung from her throat. Its appearance invoked a sense of the familiar—like I've seen it somewhere or know how it impacts me.
She, like the others, is draped in layers of delicate silk that shimmer like moonlight on water. No souls in these, though. I breathe a little easier, wondering if I imagined those tortured souls before.
Her eyes, kind yet elusive, met mine. Without a word, she extended her hand. I hesitate, but something in her pure gaze reassures me I would come to no harm under her watchful care.
Feeling refreshed and clean without ever being scrubbed, I felt as though the light had washed away every filth I'd been exposed to. I grasped her hand, and she helped me to my feet.
A bundle in the hands of another handmaiden appeared, also tied with a colourful silk. She draped the garment around my shoulder, dressing me as though I were a child she had been mother to for eons. Each layer, she added with a low hum, seemed to soothe a deep unease, extending a sense of calmness and eternal belonging echoing of home.
She finished the last layer, stepped back, and nodded as if to approve her work. Her pert face lit with a joy before I could find the right words, translate them from English to Korean, and then try to speak them, the air grew warmer.
A new presence made itself known.
I turned to see a man step out from the shadows. Whether he remained hidden as I bathed was unknown. His movements were fluid yet purposeful, exuding a quiet resolve.
His gaze roamed my form, holding me captive with unwavering force. His eyes unlike anything I'd ever seen. Dragon-like scales within their depths, with iridescent flecks.
Those had to be some expensive contacts, I mused.
The woman who dressed me bowed her head in respect to the man. I followed her lead, though my heart thundered in my chest.
I could still feel the weight of his look, coupled with an intensity that caused my knees to tremble.
"Wanghu Mama, you have awakened and been chosen." His voice was a deep, resonant rumble that caused ward bells in the room to tinkle.
Chosen? I wanted to ask, but the words stuck in my throat. The instruction from the other larper was etched in my mind. Instead, I stood shrouded in uncertainty.
A sudden thunderous chorus of hooves drew our attention. A single rider in dark, ornate armour cut an imposing figure. He dismounted with one motion, his cape fluttering behind him. He moved with a fluid grace despite countless hours astride the horse.
His eyes, also dragon-like, but with less penetrating force, fixed upon me with a mix of curiosity and something else I couldn't quite decipher.
Wherever they hard found these actors, it seemed there was an eternal wellspring of handsomeness.
The woman who dressed me stepped forward, her voice calm yet equally authoritative. "This is—," she announced, pronouncing a word I couldn't reproduce. "He has come to fulfill the marital obligation of our esteemed ancestors. You are to be wed to him."