Lin Lan rubbed her tired eyes, finally finishing her work report just before 2 a.m. Staring at the cold glow of her laptop screen, she let out a long sigh. Another sleepless night. Surrounded by the neon lights of the city, she often felt like a fly trapped in a maze of loneliness and endless routines.
She didn't believe in fate. To her, "fate" was just an excuse people used to avoid taking responsibility for their choices. Living in the modern urban jungle, she was used to a structured life, with no illusions of "true love" or "soulmates." Those, to her, were just fantasies. She believed that life wasn't shaped by fate but by clear-headed decisions and a rational mind.
Just as she was about to turn off the lights and head to bed, a faint, steady knock broke the stillness of the night.
"So late...who would be at my door?" Lan was startled, wondering if she'd imagined it. Yet the knocking continued, slow and rhythmic, insistent.
Cautiously, she approached the door and peered through the peephole, seeing nothing but an empty hallway. Not even a shadow. However, the knocking continued, as if urging her to open up. Her heart raced, but curiosity won over fear, and she finally gathered the courage to open the door.
Outside, there was no one. Only an envelope lay quietly on the floor, yellowed and bearing her name in an ancient, unfamiliar script. There was no stamp, no address—almost as if it had appeared out of thin air.
Lan frowned, half-suspecting this was some kind of prank. Yet, curiosity prompted her to pick up the envelope, return inside, and sit at her desk. The envelope was heavy, as if it held something important.
Carefully, she tore it open and pulled out a thick sheet of paper. Written in the same archaic script, the text was clear and bold, radiating a kind of authority:
> To Lin Lan,
You have been chosen by fate to become a guardian of peace between our two worlds. This pact takes effect as of today, and you shall enter into a marriage contract with Lady Elena de Astra three days hence.
Your mission concerns the safety of both realms. We trust that you will accept this sacred pact.
—The Council of Fate
Lin Lan blinked, then burst into laughter. Marriage? To whom? Peace between realms? She could hardly believe her eyes. The contents were so absurd, as if they'd been pulled straight from the pages of a fantasy novel.
Shaking her head, she tossed the envelope onto the desk, deciding to ignore it. It was probably some friend's prank, or maybe a letter mistakenly delivered by some eccentric. But she couldn't deny a slight unease stirring within her.
Just as she was about to brush off the entire thing, the envelope began to glow faintly. Lan watched in shock as the paper started to radiate light, slowly lifting into the air, filling the room with a soft, golden glow.
She jumped back, fear washing over her, her hands turning cold. The letter seemed to be waiting for her response, its glow pulsing gently, almost urging her to acknowledge it. Then, just as suddenly, the glow faded, and the paper settled back on the desk, as though nothing had happened at all.
Lan stood there, arms wrapped around herself, her heart pounding. This was no ordinary prank. Whatever this so-called "pact" was, it wasn't something she could ignore. But why had she been drawn into it?
She didn't believe in fate. But in that moment, fate seemed to be reaching out with an invisible hand, pulling her into a world she had never known.