The Bride's Reflection: Whispers of the Forgotten Groom

The wedding preparations were in full swing, the air thick with the scent of flowers and the excitement of a new beginning. In the heart of the ancient city, where the cobblestone streets whispered tales of the past, the bride, Lin, was to marry her beloved, Feng. They had known each other since childhood, their bond unbreakable. Yet, as the day of the wedding approached, Lin found herself increasingly drawn to the mysterious portrait of Feng's father that hung in the old family home.

The portrait was unlike any other. Feng's father, a man of legend and lore, was depicted as a figure of elegance and power, but there was an unsettling emptiness in his eyes. It was as if he held a secret too heavy to bear. The more Lin gazed at the portrait, the more she felt a strange connection to it, as if the painting was trying to communicate with her.

On the night before the wedding, Lin couldn't shake off the feeling that something was amiss. She decided to investigate the portrait's history, hoping to find some comfort in understanding her groom's heritage. She pulled out an old, leather-bound book from a dusty shelf, its pages yellowed with age.

As she began to read, the words seemed to leap from the pages, each sentence echoing in her mind like a warning. The story spoke of Feng's father, a man who had been betrayed by his closest ally, a man who had vanished without a trace, leaving behind a haunting legend. The last line of the book read, "The groom is the forgotten groom, the one who walks in shadows."

Lin's heart raced as she closed the book. She couldn't shake the feeling that Feng's father was still alive, that he was watching her, that he was the ghostly groom who walked in shadows. The next morning, as the wedding preparations reached their climax, Lin found herself unable to shake the feeling that Feng was not the man he appeared to be.

As the ceremony began, Lin's eyes met Feng's. He looked back at her with the same love and devotion that had always been there, but there was something else in his gaze, a hint of something dark and hidden. During the vows, as Feng spoke of his love for her, Lin couldn't help but wonder if he was speaking of his own love or the love of another.

The wedding night was supposed to be a celebration of their union, but Lin found herself unable to sleep. She wandered the halls of the ancient home, the air thick with the scent of old wood and the distant echo of footsteps. She followed the sound, her footsteps growing lighter as she moved deeper into the house.

The footsteps led her to the room where Feng's father's portrait hung. As she approached, the painting seemed to come to life, the eyes of the man in the portrait locking onto hers. Lin's heart pounded in her chest as she stepped closer. The portrait shifted, and with a sudden, chilling movement, it seemed to float off the wall, its frame clinking as it descended towards her.

In a panic, Lin reached out to touch the portrait, but her fingers passed through it as if it were made of smoke. The room was silent except for the sound of her own breathing. Then, a voice, deep and resonant, echoed through the room, "You cannot escape your fate, bride."

Lin turned, her eyes wide with fear, but there was no one there. She spun around, her gaze searching the room, and that's when she saw him. Feng, her groom, stood in the doorway, his face twisted with anger and pain. "I am the groom you seek," he said, his voice a low growl. "I am the one who walks in shadows, the one who has been waiting for this moment."

Before Lin could react, Feng's hands shot out, gripping her throat. She struggled, her eyes wide with terror, but there was no escape. As Feng's fingers tightened, Lin's mind raced back to the words in the book, the forgotten groom, the one who walks in shadows.

Just as she thought she was about to lose consciousness, Feng's grip loosened. He stepped back, his eyes filled with a mix of sorrow and determination. "I am not the man you think I am," he whispered. "But I am the one who must fulfill my destiny."

As Feng's words faded, Lin found herself standing alone in the room, the portrait of his father still floating in the air. She looked around, her heart pounding, and then she saw it. A reflection of herself in the glass of the portrait frame, her eyes wide with the realization of what had just happened.

Lin's reflection was not the same as the one she saw in the mirror. It was twisted, aged, and filled with the same emptiness as the eyes in the portrait. She reached out, her fingers trembling, and as she touched the glass, the reflection began to blur, to change.

In a flash of light, Lin found herself standing in a different place, in a different time. She was in the ancient city, in the same room, but the portrait was no longer there. Instead, she saw the figure of a man, tall and elegant, standing before her. It was Feng's father, the forgotten groom.

"Feng is not to blame," the man said, his voice gentle yet filled with the weight of years. "He is a pawn in a much larger game. You must understand, Lin. You are the key to unlocking the past, to breaking the cycle of pain."

Before Lin could respond, the man vanished, leaving her standing alone in the room. She looked around, her mind racing with questions, but the only thing she knew for certain was that her life would never be the same.

As the sun began to rise, Lin found herself back in the present, in the ancient home, but this time, she was no longer the bride. She was the forgotten groom, the one who walks in shadows. And as she looked at the portrait of Feng's father, she knew that her destiny was entwined with that of the ancient city, and that the true horror was only just beginning.