Chapter 3: The Confused Bride

“You... married neither of us.”

The words refused to register. I stared at Draven, waiting for him to burst into laughter and tell me this was one of his sick jokes. But he didn’t. The crooked smile stayed on his face, yet his eyes were watching me carefully, like he was waiting for me to break.

“No,” I said, shaking my head slowly. “No... you’re lying.” Neither of them answered.

A dry laugh escaped me. “This isn’t funny.” Still nothing. Something inside me snapped. “Are you both insane?” My voice echoed down the nearly empty street. “I stood in front of a priest, at the altar. I exchanged vows. I signed a marriage certificate. I walked down that aisle in a stupid white dress and watched him put this ring on my finger. So don’t stand there and tell me I married nobody!”

Tears stung my eyes again. Draven rubbed the back of his neck. “I told you she’d react like this.”

Kai didn’t even look at him. “No. You made it worse.”

Draven raised both hands innocently. “I made it entertaining.” “You never know when to stop talking.” “And somehow,” Draven smirked, “you’re still the boring twin.”

Kai’s jaw tightened. “Draven.” “What? Enough.” Draven rolled his eyes. “See what I mean? He orders everyone around.” “I do not.” “You literally just did.” “I told you to stop talking.” “And I ignored you,” Draven said with a smug grin. “Which proves my point.”

I couldn’t believe it. After everything that had happened in the last eight hours, they were arguing. My hands curled into fists. “Would both of you stop it!” I yelled.

Silence fell immediately. Good. At least they knew when to shut up.

I glared at Kai. “You. Were you the man standing beside me at the altar?”

A long pause. Then, flat and final: “No.”

I turned to Draven at once. “So it was you.” His grin faded. “No.”

I blinked. “What?” “It wasn’t me either.”

My heartbeat stumbled. “No... there were only two of you. There couldn’t have been anyone else.” Kai’s expression didn’t change. “The man who stood beside you wasn’t me.” I pointed at Draven. “And not him?” Kai shook his head slowly. “No.”

My breathing turned uneven. “Then who was it?” Neither answered. I laughed nervously. “Stop doing that.” Silence. “I’m asking you a question!” Nothing. “WHO DID I MARRY?”

The only answer was another look between them, a silent conversation, like they were deciding how much truth I deserved. It infuriated me.

Fine. If they wouldn’t answer, I would. I grabbed the ring and yanked. It didn’t move. I twisted, licked my finger, tried again. The skin around the band turned bright red, pain shot through my finger, but the metal wouldn’t budge. It felt fused to my skin.

Draven whistled softly. “Interesting.” Kai’s head snapped toward him. “What?” Draven kept staring at my hand. “It accepted her.”

For the first time, Kai’s mask cracked. Just for a heartbeat. His eyes narrowed before the cold returned. “What do you mean, accepted me?” I demanded. Neither answered. Again.

“I’m sick of this!” I snapped. “You speak in riddles, you expect me to trust you, and you won’t explain anything! You killed my parents—”

Kai cut in immediately. “No. We didn’t.” I froze. “What?” “We buried them.”

The world seemed to stop. “You... you already buried them?” Kai nodded once. I stared at him in horror. “How? When? Where?” Silence.

Fresh tears spilled down my cheeks. “I didn’t even get to say goodbye...” For the first time all day, neither twin interrupted. The silence felt heavier, almost respectful.

Kai opened the rear passenger door of the black car. “We’re leaving.” I wiped my eyes angrily. “I’m not going anywhere.” “You are.” “No,” I said firmly. “I don’t even know who you are!” “You will.” “I don’t care! I want to go home!”

Kai’s eyes stayed on me. “You can’t.” “Why not?” “Because we’re leaving the human world.”

I stared, then laughed, shaky and disbelieving. “The human world? Right. What next? You’re going to tell me dragons, fairies, werewolves, and vampires are real too?” Neither of them laughed. Neither even smiled.

The silence was answer enough. A chill raced down my spine and my smile slipped. “...You’re joking.” No one spoke. For the first time since the nightmare began, I started to wonder if the impossible was real. No. They were just trying to scare me. Vampires didn’t exist. Magic didn’t exist. This had to be a prank.

I forced myself to look toward the road. There had to be someone. A cop. A taxi. Anyone. But the street was strangely empty. The few people I’d noticed earlier were gone, even the traffic had thinned. I took an unsteady step back. “I’m leaving.”

Kai didn’t stop me. Draven didn’t either. They just watched, and that unsettled me more than if they’d grabbed me. I turned and started walking. One step, then another. My legs felt heavy under the weight of the dress, but I kept moving. I didn’t know where I was going. I just needed away from them.

“Maya.” Kai’s calm voice followed me. I didn’t stop. “Maya.” I wiped angrily at my tears. “Leave me alone! I’ve had enough!”

Footsteps sounded behind me, slow and unhurried, as if they already knew I wouldn’t get far. I spun around. “Don’t follow me!” Draven raised both hands. “Relax. We aren’t chasing you.” “Then stay away from me!” “We’re trying,” he said, lips twitching. “You just keep making it difficult.” “How am I making anything difficult?” “By refusing to accept reality.”

I let out a bitter laugh. “Reality? My parents were murdered. My husband disappeared. Two identical men keep telling me I married neither of them, and now you’re talking about another world. You don’t get to lecture me about reality.”

For the first time, Draven had no sarcastic reply. His smile faded. “I’m sorry.” The words were so unexpected I just stared. He sighed. “I know today has been... disastrous.” “Disastrous?” I almost laughed again. “You think that’s the right word? My parents are dead! I watched them die! I couldn’t even touch them, couldn’t even say goodbye!” My voice broke completely.

Silence fell. Kai looked away, jaw tightening. “They weren’t left there,” he said quietly. I frowned. “What?” “We buried them.”

The words stole the air from my lungs. “You... you already buried them?” He nodded once. My stomach twisted. “When?” “While you were unconscious.” “I wasn’t unconscious.” “You were.” “I would’ve remembered.” “You don’t remember everything.”

Every answer only created more questions. “Where did you bury them? Were they together? Please.” The word slipped out before I could stop it. “If they’re really gone, just tell me where they are.”

Kai’s eyes met mine. For a second I thought he would. Instead he said, “I can’t.” Anger surged again. “You can’t? Or you won’t?” He said nothing. I shook my head. “I hate you.” The words slipped out. Neither twin reacted. “I hate both of you.”

Kai opened the rear door. “We’re leaving.” “I’m not getting in.” “You are.” “No.” His gray eyes stayed on mine. “This is the last time I’ll ask.” I folded my arms. “Then ask someone else.”

Draven sighed. “I really hoped she’d choose the easy way.” Kai nodded once. “So did I.”

Before I could react, Kai closed the distance and scooped me into his arms like I weighed nothing. “Put me down! Let me go!” I kicked, pounding my fists against his chest. People didn’t carry strangers like this. People didn’t carry their wives like prisoners. Kai didn’t flinch. He opened the back door with one hand and set me inside. The locks clicked the instant the door shut.

I grabbed the handle. It wouldn’t open. Draven slid into the driver’s seat, glancing at me in the mirror with a crooked smile. “Told you we’d leave one way or another.” Kai settled into the passenger seat. Without looking back, he said, “Drive.”

The engine roared, and the car pulled away, carrying me farther from the only life I’d ever known.

####

The city slipped past my window — familiar streets, traffic lights, apartment buildings, people walking home from work. Everything looked painfully normal. How could the world keep moving like nothing happened? How could strangers laugh while mine had fallen apart?

I pressed my forehead to the cool glass. The wedding ring caught my reflection. A few hours ago I thought it was the symbol of my sacrifice. Now it felt like a shackle. Without thinking, I twisted it again. It didn’t move. I gritted my teeth and pulled until my finger throbbed, but the metal wouldn’t give. A bead of blood formed beneath the band. Still, it refused to budge.

“You’ll only hurt yourself,” Kai said calmly. I didn’t look at him. “I’d rather lose my finger than wear this.” He didn’t respond.

Draven glanced at me in the mirror. “I’ve never seen that before.” Kai turned his head. “What?” Draven nodded toward my hand. “The ring.” Kai followed his gaze, and for the first time since I met him, something flashed across his face. Surprise. Only for a heartbeat. Then it was gone.

“It accepted her,” Draven murmured. My head snapped up. “What does that mean?” Neither answered. Again. I let out a frustrated laugh. “Of course. Another secret. Another riddle.” I folded my arms and turned to the window. “I’m done asking.”

Silence filled the car, broken only by the hum of the engine. Minutes passed. Maybe ten. Maybe twenty. I lost track. The tears came quietly this time, not sobs, just silent tracks down my cheeks that I wiped away before either of them noticed. Or at least I thought they didn’t.

“I don’t even know where my parents are,” I said before I realized I’d spoken. Before I could ask more, Draven cleared his throat. “We’re almost there.” “There?” I asked bitterly. “Where exactly is there?” Neither answered. Of course not.

The car left the crowded streets behind. Buildings thinned. Streetlights disappeared one by one until all I saw was empty road lined with towering trees. I frowned. “I’ve never been here before,” I murmured. The road curved, and a massive tunnel appeared, carved straight through the side of a mountain. I’d lived in this city my whole life. I’d never seen this tunnel.

“Where are we?” No answer. The car entered. Darkness swallowed us. The lights overhead flickered once, twice, three times. The air turned colder. Much colder. My ears began to ring. For a split second I could swear strange symbols glowed across the walls before vanishing.

“What...” I whispered. The engine’s sound changed, becoming distant, muffled. The tunnel seemed impossibly long. Longer than it should be. My stomach twisted. Something felt wrong. Very wrong.

Then the car emerged.

I gasped.

The city was gone. No highways. No buildings. No power lines. No traffic. Only an endless forest of towering black trees stretching farther than I could see. A crimson moon hung low in the sky, far larger than any moon should be. Ancient stone towers rose in the distance, their silhouettes cutting through silver mist. The road beneath us was no longer asphalt. It was black stone.

I gripped the door handle until my knuckles turned white. “This...” My voice shook. “This isn’t possible.”

Kai finally turned to look at me, his expression unreadable.

“Welcome home, Maya.”