"Hiss... so cold..."
Regaining consciousness, I felt as though I had fallen into an ice cellar, my entire body wrapped in a bone-chilling cold.
With great effort, I opened my eyes. The first thing I saw was a pair of icy-blue eyes.
Those eyes, like ice crystals from the deepest reaches of the polar regions, shimmered with an ethereal azure glow, breathtakingly beautiful.
Yet within those eyes also lurked a madness that sent shivers down my spine.
"You're awake, my bridegroom."
A voice as cold as melting frost rang out, crisp and melodious, yet tinged with a... sickly-sweet undertone.
Only then did I realize I was lying on a frigid, altar-like platform.
My body was bound by an icy chain to a... stunningly beautiful girl!
She had cascading ice-blue hair that flowed like a waterfall down to her waist.
Her skin was pale as jade, glowing faintly under the azure light, as though carved from exquisite ice.
Her features were flawlessly delicate, yet her complexion held a morbid pallor, her lips an unnatural lavender hue.
Undeniably, she was beautiful.
Heart-stoppingly, breath-stealingly beautiful.
But she was also dangerous.
Terrifyingly, despair-inducingly dangerous.
"Wh-who are you?"
I struggled to sit up, but my body refused to obey. The chain’s cold seeped into my bones, making my teeth chatter uncontrollably.
"I am your bride, darling."
The girl smiled, revealing two sharp... fangs.
She leaned closer, her lips brushing my cheek as she whispered:
If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.
"My name is Saviaara. Starting today, you are my 18th bridegroom."
18th... bridegroom?
My pupils contracted sharply, a wave of dread crashing over me.
Swiveling my eyes, I noticed seventeen ice sculptures encircling the altar!
Each sculpture, lifelike and unique, depicted male figures.
Without exception, their frozen expressions captured... extreme agony and terror before their icy imprisonment.
"Th-these are..."
My voice trembled violently, cold dread rising from my feet to my skull.
"Them? They’re my 'former husbands.'"
Saviaara spoke casually, as if discussing trivial matters.
Her slender fingers traced the cheek of one sculpture, her gaze tinged with... nostalgia?
"They were all once my 'bridegrooms,' bound to me on this altar in 'matrimony.'"
"Pity they failed my 'trials,' ending up... like this."
Her tone carried mock regret, but beneath it lay... playful mockery.
"Trials"...
Suddenly, I recalled the mechanical voice—the self-proclaimed "System."
It claimed I’d been chosen for this game. Surviving required completing tasks.
My mission: fulfill the "ritual" with the "bride," or face erasure.
Was this "ritual" a twisted marriage to Saviaara?
And the "trials"... whatever came after, determining whether I’d join the frozen statues?
"Wh-what do you want?"
I fought to steady myself despite the fear clawing at my chest.
"What do I want? Heh..."
Saviaara laughed, a sound like crystal chimes that chilled me to the core.
Her tongue darted out, licking a small cut on my cheek I hadn’t noticed—now oozing blood.
"Such sweetness..."
Her eyes gleamed with bloodlust as she savored my blood, face flushed with ecstasy.
"Fear not, beloved."
"I merely wish to play a game with you."
"A game that lasts... till death do us part."
Her voice softened to a lover’s murmur, yet her gaze remained frigid and frenzied—a predator eyeing prey.
"Pass my trials, and I’ll let you... live."
"Fail..."
Her smile vanished, eyes sharpening into icy blades.
"You’ll join my collection."
"Forever... by my side."
...
"No... I won’t..."
I thrashed against the chains, but my strength was futile against her.
A moth trapped in a spider’s web, struggling toward inevitable doom.
"Resign yourself, bridegroom."
Her whisper slithered into my ear.
"This game’s outcome was decided from the start."
"You... cannot escape."
...
"No... I won’t give up!"
As despair loomed, a vision flashed in my mind:
An ice coffin.
Inside lay a girl wearing mechanical goggles, hiding her upper face.
Her visible features resembled Saviaara’s, yet her gaze burned with... fierce resolve.
She seemed to mouth words—but the vision vanished.
"Who... was that?"
I muttered, bewildered.
"What did you say?"
Saviaara frowned, displeased by my distraction.
"Nothing..."
I shook my head, forcing focus.
Survival was all that mattered now.
"Wait... the System!"
The mechanical voice!
"System! Are you there? Help me!"
I screamed inwardly, met with silence.
"Damn it... did it abandon me here?"
Was I to become the 18th frozen ornament?
No!
I glared at Saviaara, defiance blazing.
"Saviaara, whoever—or whatever—you are, this game ends now."
"I, Xuedou, refuse to lose!"
"I will survive!"
"Oh?"
Her lips curved in amusement.
"Then I await your performance, my... 18th bridegroom."
"Don’t... disappoint me."
(End of Chapter 1)
