The Marriage

Tadashi took his first step into the darkness. Behind us, a door rose up and sealed shut, trapping us in that secluded void.

The endless black stretched on, the only light faintly glowing along the edges of the ground.

“We’ve been waiting for you,” said a voice, its pitch sliding between deep and high tones, like two people speaking at once.

“Oh, sorry… we got caught in traffic and—”

“SHHHHHH!” Rush silenced us with a sharp glare.

She stood across the room, dressed in a beautiful black wedding gown.

“We’ve always been waiting for you. Because this was always the plan. Before birth, we did not exist; after death, we will not exist. Both are the same darkness. If you wish to intertwine your souls for eternity, tearing through this void… take a step forward.”

That strange voice was the guide for this bizarre ceremony.

Rush stepped forward. With a slight delay, Tadashi repeated the action.

“Do you promise… to be faithful?

…to love?

…to protect?

…to forgive?”

At each question, we answered with a step forward. Following her lead, Tadashi ended up beside her, their gazes turned in opposite directions. Even without looking directly, her presence radiated so strongly that I could feel her beauty.

A scent of flowers drifted through the void.

Next to her, it was impossible not to feel ugly..

“Hey… your hand…” Rush whispered, gesturing for us to hold hands.

We joined hands at chest height, slowly turning our faces toward each other. Between our palms, I glimpsed a magic ring projected — though she clearly couldn’t see it.

“Feel each other’s mana. Focus on the signature within. Blend together, lose yourselves in one another.”

Embarrassed, Rush shut her eyes and concentrated, just trying to stay standing. Through our Third Eye, the void was alive with glowing particles of magic.

From Rush flowed a stream of tiny lilac sparks, drifting like a summer breeze through a forest of cherry blossoms.

Her soul color… it’s just like the President’s.

Suddenly, Tadashi was hit with a flood of memories from his old life. His family. His ordinary days. Now here he was, marrying a girl in another world — and no one from his past life would ever know.

His eyes began to shine, tears welling up. He wiped them away with his arm, trying to refocus.

From us, ugly green motes of mana swirled into a vortex, merging with Rush’s lilac glow. It was like we were breathing as one.

It was beautiful and all that… but seriously, please don’t let this end with our souls merging. Two and a half consciousnesses in here is already too much!

Amidst that turmoil, he caught a glimpse of Rush’s soul. It was delicate and generous, yet burdened by a deep sadness at its core — like a scar, a soul bound by the feeling of confinement.

Tadashi's concentration on that feeling when he was called by the guiding voice, we woke up as if from a dream.

“Now… make your vows.”

She rushed ahead, blurting out her promise first:

“I-I promise, in the name of my master, that every day I will give my best so that you never regret our union. Protecting and ensuring your happiness will be my daily duty, now and forever.”

Her flushed face glowed against the colorless void.

Her gentle eyes said everything. She wanted the best for Zero. The vows were beautiful, but underneath them lingered sadness. She didn’t know Zero well enough to vow eternal love, so she promised only what she could — to try to make him happy. That was the limit of her reach.

Silence consumed the void.

While Tadashi struggled to find words, a memory struck him:

What I mean is… I’ve always been a little jealous of you. I always settled for being what others wanted me to be.

It was the voice of the kendo club president.

Tadashi, should I say the vows? I could say something nice…

No. I got this.

“Rush, I vow to shield you from every evil force that dares touch our lives. From the countless powers twisting our fate, I swear to answer with vengeance. From this day forth, my life is bound to breaking the chains that shackle us to misfortune — so that what remains will be nothing but the grand adventures we choose.”

Tadashi… you bastard. You finally learned something from my writing!

Rush nearly exploded with embarrassment.

“The void is filled. The darkness remains the same, but now it is shared between two. Seal the contract.”

“Huh…?”

“You have to kiss me…I allow it, it's okay.” Rush whispered.

Tadashi scratched his head. She nervously twirled a strand of her blue hair.

DAMN IT, JUST DO IT ALREADY!

In a sudden move, I made Zero grab her and pull her into the kind of kiss you only see in movies — sweeping drama, her back arched like the finale of some old Hollywood romance.

Of course, Tadashi had to ruin it. His tongue tangled clumsily, making a mess of everything. What started beautiful ended… not so much.

Rush nearly fainted, while Tadashi wiped the drool from his chin.

“What an ugly kiss… I MEAN, IT’S… MARRIAGE COMPLETE.”

The voice’s microphone cut off.

“I-I… HAVE TO GO TO WORK!” Rush squeaked, bolting away.

Wait, aren’t we students?

BAM! She smacked straight into the black wall. The door creaked open a few centimeters.

She dashed out, leaving her new husband behind.

“Well… I guess that’s… that.”

She was so flustered that she didn’t notice what mattered most:

Tadashi had promised her freedom.

In a wedding dress, I appeared beside Tadashi in my skeletal form.

“Seriously, Tadashi, putting your wedding vows as a threat? If I were the bride, I wouldn’t accept that!” I conjured up a bouquet and hurled it straight into Tadashi’s face. He clearly didn’t appreciate my little hallucinations for dramatic effect.

“Her master… the leader of the sect. He stole the glory of our light show and even took my freedom. President Chiyo gave me the push I needed to get here. In her name, I’ll free this girl from her cursed master.”

As we stepped into the light breaking through the void, Tadashi made a vow of his own:

“I’ll make him the antagonist of our story.”