[Four Weeks Later]

(Asher)

"Wow… this outfit looks good on you, bro!" Brian exclaimed, giving me a slow look from head to toe.

I glanced at my reflection. The long layered robes flowed in pale pink, ivory, and gold all the way to my toes. Traditional sandals left those toes bare, completing the ceremonial look.

"Dude looks good in anything," Four Eyes drawled with a low growl and an eye-roll. "Nothing new here."

"I was about to say the same," Kira added with a soft chuckle, shifting in his own sandals.

"You don't look bad yourselves," I muttered, pulling my eyes from the mirror.

They wore matching gray robes and sandals, their hair neatly trimmed and a small bead tucked to the right side.

"If Derrick were here, he'd be claiming to be the most elegant in the room," Brian said with a faint smile.

"Or reminding us how girls make him think of goats," Kira added.

We all laughed, but the sound faded quickly. The silence that followed carried him with it. Derrick's funeral, along with the twenty-eight other civilians who died in the zombie and Draegonoth attack was held the day after. Four weeks have passed, yet it still feels like yesterday. The smell of smoke, the screams, the sudden emptiness… none of it has really left us.

Her girlfriend Natalie took it the hardest. Their relationship wasn't the best, sometimes l wondered if they truly loved each other, but as they always say, never judge a book by its cover. Natalie truly loved Derrick, so much that I doubt she'll have the strength to come to my wedding, still grieving. Sometimes I wonder if any of us truly moved on, or if we're just pretending for each other's sake.

That's right. Today is the big day for Anna and me. We chose to make our relationship known only after I told her everything—every secret I'd kept.

I told her about the women I'd been with, though not about her mother, and I explained how my power feeds on intimacy and the strange "pleasure points" it brings. Which is why I'm stronger than any other normal males in this world.

I'd braced for anger or rejection, but Anna only grieved for a few days before accepting it. She made me promise one thing: she would be my main wife.

Now, despite the ache that lingered in our hearts and souls, our families and friends had gathered to witness our union. Maybe this celebration would spark hope in those still grieving—help them turn a page, begin a new chapter, and mark the first day of a renewed Eldoria.

A sharp knock on the door jolted us from our thoughts. All eyes turned as the door creaked open. A boy, no more than twelve, peeked inside.

"Groom squad. The crowd is ready for you!" he said brightly before darting off.

My brothers-in-arms and I drew steady breaths and formed our line—Adrian, my best man, at my side; Kira and Brian just behind. Adrian pushed the door open and we marched through the long stone corridor into the courtyard.

A wave of claps, cheers, and laughter greeted us. The sheer size of the crowd stunned me. I hadn't expected so many people to fill the holy church's courtyard.

We took our seats at the front along a long table draped in white linen and set with crystal bottles of water.

Adrian leaned close with a grin. "Wow… I didn't know you were loved this much."

"He is the first male student to win the Academy tournaments—and the only male S-rank hunter in the kingdom," Kira said under his breath.

"We might not see it because we're close to him," Brian added, "but Asher's a pretty big deal."

"Yeah, yeah…" Adrian rolled his eyes.

That's when I noticed it: a set of faint, deep cuts across Adrian's neck, like the swipe of a beast's claws. Like how one would look after getting a slap from Rex in full transformation.

"What's this, Four Eyes?" I murmured, reaching to pull his robe aside. He slapped my hand away and sank into his chair.

"Nothing. Just… enjoy your day," he muttered, then fixed his gaze on the crowd and started waving as if nothing had happened.

Something about him had been off since the zombie attack. I could feel he was hiding something—something that happened when he left my realm that night to check the damage caused by the attack, or maybe to check on his family. But this was not the time to press, so l held my peace.

I turned forward. Beyond the altar sat my mother who was now healthy again beside Sharon and a cluster of relatives I'd only recently met.

Another round of applause rippled through the courtyard. The bride's party was entering. My breath caught when I saw Anna. She met my eyes, held the gaze, and smiled, dimples softening her glowing face.

Unlike the veiled brides of my past life, Anna walked unveiled, her green and silver hair pinned with a golden clasp, delicate jewelry tracing her cheekbones like sunlit vines. Her gown shimmered in soft gold, layers cascading to her toes, which were adorned with the same traditional sandals I wore.

Beside her, to my surprise, stood Natalie as her best woman, her grief hidden behind a brave, faint smile.

They settled at their table. In front of them sat Anna's mother, surrounded by their other relatives, Anna's brothers and sisters perhaps, the same Rembrandt relatives who once mocked Anna as a "noble commoner" and an embarrassment to the family name. Now they wore polite masks, as if they'd cared all along.

When the cheers subsided, Priestess Seraphina stepped forward and began the ceremony. Since Anna and I had already performed the binding ritual and tied the marriage strings, only the vows remained.

After blessings and prayers, Seraphina's voice rang clear:

"Before the eyes of the Goddess of Grace and all gathered kin, if any soul here knows a reason these two should not be joined, speak now or remain in silence forever."

A hush fell over the courtyard. My other wives—Valerie, Liloth Alvado, Clara the receptionist, and more were all present, yet none spoke. I let out a quiet breath of relief.

"If none oppose, may the groom kiss the bri—"

A sudden tremor shook the ground, cutting Seraphina short. The distant cry of horses echoed from the church gates. Heads turned as ten great chariots thundered to a halt.

I squinted toward the entrance, too far to make out faces, but the crowd murmured in awe.

"Woah… now that's a rare sight." "I've never seen them in person!" "They're all… pregnant?" "And one's carrying a child!"

I strained for a better look, but rising would have been improper.

"Could they be here to stop the wedding?" someone whispered.

Rumors rippled like wind through leaves: "They say those folk are stronger than humans—blessed by the forest spirits."

Hoofbeats softened to footsteps as figures descended the chariots. The crowd parted like red sea water before Moses, revealing pointy ears gleaming in the sunlight.

My heart hammered. And then I recognized her.

Elaris—the Elven Patriarch, one who rules over all the elves. And behind her, every elven woman I'd slept with during my time in their kingdom… each one visibly, unmistakably pregnant.

A thunderclap of dread rolled through me.

What are they doing here?

TBC.

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