Daniel's POV.
Inside the vast cathedral, the air felt cool and smelled faintly of incense and expensive lilies. A massive crowd had gathered in the mahogany pews to witness the union of two souls—two people destined to swear an eternal oath before God.
Men in sharp, charcoal suits and women in elegant white dresses lined the front. The atmosphere was thick with the quiet pride of elderly parents, their eyes misting over as they watched their children take this monumental step. The ceremony truly began as the heavy oak doors groaned open. A young woman, draped in a magnificent lace wedding gown, started her long walk down the aisle. Guided by her father's steady arm, she moved toward the altar where her groom stood waiting, his heart hammering against his ribs.
"She is absolutely stunning," I thought, my breath hitching.
I couldn't contain the overwhelming happiness surging through me. Finally, I was standing at the altar with the woman I loved most—the one I wanted to grow old with. She was the only person to whom I would dedicate my dreams, my hard work, and my very soul. In just a few moments, the priest would pronounce us one.
As she reached the steps, I reached out and took Lea's soft hands. I could see her gentle features through the sheer, misty layer of her long bridal veil. Our smiles mirrored the pure bliss of the moment as we turned together toward the priest.
A silken ribbon was draped over our shoulders, binding us together—a symbol of an unbreakable bond. The cathedral was so silent you could hear the flickering of the altar candles. Suddenly, Lea leaned in, her voice a whisper as sweet as honey.
"Are you happy?" she asked.
"Not just happy," I whispered back, my voice thick with emotion. "I'm overjoyed. You have no idea how much you've completed my life, Lea."
I squeezed her hands tightly and kissed her knuckles, locking eyes with her shimmering gaze. "Only a few more hours and our dreams come true. We'll be together, building a family of our own in our own home."
"You're right, my love. Just a few more moments," she responded softly.
Even through the veil, I could see her radiant smile—a shared joy that made me feel like I could conquer the world.
"Exactly," she added, her tone suddenly shifting. "The dream we've wanted for so long."
Then, her voice spiked into an excited, giddy trill that felt slightly out of place in a cathedral. "In just a few hours, I can finally be with my yaoi manga and my collection freely, without my parents nagging me!"
"Huh?" The romantic fog in my brain instantly cleared.
Lea suddenly let go of my hands and began fumbling with the heavy folds of her gown. To my absolute horror, she reached into a hidden pocket, pulled out a glossy BL manga featuring Eren and Levi, and thrust it toward my face.
"Look at what I bought, honey! It's the new volume of my favorite doujinshi! Kyahhh! Aren't they so sweet together?" she squealed, her eyes wide and sparkling with a different kind of "bliss."
I was speechless. I stared at the cover—which featured two shirtless, muscular men embracing—while she looked at me with a gaze that bordered on predatory, practically panting over her obsession. In a sheer panic, I lunged for the book, trying to wrestle it out of sight. Lea looked shocked, but I had to hide it before the priest noticed the "art."
"W-w-what are you doing?! Why would you bring that inside a church?" I hissed.
"Wait, don't take it! Give it back!" she whispered-yelled, trying to snatch the book back from my grip.
She was relentless. Because it was our wedding, every single eye in the building was fixed on us. I couldn't bring myself to look at the guests; I could already feel the heavy, confused stares of our relatives as we engaged in a frantic tug-of-war at the foot of the altar.
"This is forbidden in church! Have you lost your mind?" I growled under my breath.
The priest froze, his prayer book halfway open, and the altar servers looked completely bewildered. They seemed unsure whether to intervene in our strange "festivities" or just let the bride and groom settle their differences.
I knew how wrong this looked, but I couldn't give it back. There was no telling what other madness she'd pull if she got her hands on it again. I couldn't let our big day be ruined by a yaoi addiction.
"Give it back! I'll die if I lose that! It's mine!" she insisted, her face reddening.
"Stop it, Lea! Can we please just wait until after the ceremony?"
As the situation spiraled, a cold realization began to dawn on me. I paused mid-struggle, a sudden, piercing question entering my mind. How did I even end up here? How did I end up marrying a fujoshi like this?
"Fine... give it to me after the ceremony, okay?" she pouted, finally letting go.
She stopped struggling and turned back to the priest as if nothing had happened. I quickly stuffed the BL manga inside my suit jacket, wedging it uncomfortably against my waistband. My heart was racing for all the wrong reasons now. God, please forgive us for our sins, I prayed silently.
I took a deep breath, trying to salvage the moment. This day was still supposed to be important. I turned back to the priest, but the more I looked at the altar, the more the world felt like it was tilting. Everything had happened so fast; I couldn't even recall the moment I'd actually proposed to Lea.
Wait. Something is definitely wrong here.
"Huh?" I blurted out loud.
"What is it, Daniel?" Lea asked, tilting her head.
"Um... I just thought... why are we getting married? We aren't even in love," I asked, the words falling out of my mouth before I could stop them.
Confusion flashed across her face at my bluntness. I realized how insane it was to ask that in the middle of a wedding, but Lea just responded with a smile that felt... ominous.
Before she could answer, the massive church doors flew open with a deafening bang that echoed like a gunshot. A voice screamed from the entrance, raw and powerful:
"STOP THIS NONSENSE!!!"
The voice halted the ceremony instantly. Even without looking, my heart began to thud painfully against my ribs. I knew that voice. It was impossible, but I knew it.