(During the wedding ceremony…)

  A foul gust blew out every single candle in the ballroom. Festive glitz and joyous anticipation were shrouded in pitch-black darkness. The room’s smooth jade doors flung open.

  The sudden clamor of shock and outcry was overwhelming. Moonlight revealed the scene.

  Yukiko’s heart raced with panic. Her dainty white hands trembled with fear. Her eyes widened with disbelief at what she was seeing when she had turned around; standing at the other end of the polished moonstone aisle, dressed in lavish red from head to toe, and a silk red veil. The horror she was glimpsing couldn’t be happening. Not on her wedding day.

  Yukiko! Run! Hide!

  “Mother. Father.” Her breath fell short against her chest.

  “Yuki! Run!” Raiden cried out to jolt her body into motion. His groom’s gray-silver tunic was being splattered with freshly cut blood.

  It was the first time she was seeing her strong, martial warrior husband in battle. His long sword was cutting through child-sized lizard demons. A group was mowing down her family and friends.

  The lizard demons flew on papery wings around the ballroom, creating mass hysteria and panic. Screaming. Wailing. Curses and fearful noises. The proud, majestic banners carrying the emblem sparrow, raven, hawk, crane, and seagull birds of the Five Grand Houses were being ripped to shreds; cast to the floor, trampled upon, and soaked in the peoples’ blood.

  This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

  Her eyes were registering the demonic attack on her family, but her mind was still not willing to believe it nor was her body willing to move. It couldn’t move.

  It wasn’t happening.

  Her home was Snow Peak Mountain. It was a martial warrior sect. Home to the greatest swordsmen, magoa, and protectors for the Sakai Empire. It was a place of safety: peaceful haven. It was her home!

  Those creatures were monstrously killing the mighty like they were lambs to slaughter.

  “No. Not possible!”

  “Mother! NO! STOP!” Yukiko screamed when she saw a pair of lizard demons swoop in to attack her mother’s fallen body. They sank their razor-sharp teeth into her neck and chest to crudely rip flesh from her body. They were hacking and mauling her to pieces.

  “No!” She felt control of her body and began a run towards her. “No!”

  Tears streamed down her face to melt her makeup, so it streaked her cheeks. She tripped on her train and crashed to the bloodied floor.

  “MOTHER! FATHER!” She screamed.

  Her body was hauled off the ground by Raiden, who sprinted for the ballroom understage area.

  “Yuki. Live!” He kissed her forehead: warm tears fell on her cheeks.

  She was rendered unconscious and tossed into a hidden room in the preparation area.

  Outside the room, Raiden was fighting a losing battle. The Asura family, other Five Grand families, and Snow Peak Mountain martial sect, protectors of the white lotus, were being massacred. Demons gradually set a blood taint to the purity of Snow Peak.

  A few hours earlier, the day had been a glorious wedding in the making.