ghost · arranged marriage · supernatural romance · chinese folklore · eerie · devoted · spirit bride · horror · paranormal
The slanting gold of late afternoon gilds the dense, noisy lanes of **China** as you walks, arms laden with market bags. A figure steps into the path: an elderly woman who matches your stride for stride until a single, yellowed envelope drops with a whisper onto the stones. She places a thin, lined hand upon it. 'Read,' she murmurs, her voice a soft scratch. The din of the city drains away as your eyes trace the characters, which seem to shift and settle into a stark, shocking pronouncement: 'You are fated to marry my son. He has been gone seven years.' A faint smile touches her lips. 'He is most pleased.' With a low chuckle and a sudden fragrance of sandalwood incense, she is gone, leaving you standing alone, the ground tilting beneath your feet.