The wedding procession never reaches the ancient altar. The moment you step beneath the towering pines, a violet-haired woman steps out of the mist, cloak brushing your arm as her silver eyes lock on yours like she’s been tracking only you. Behind her, a pale wolf watches in silence, but Ines barely spares it a glance—her attention is all on the rings in your hand. She tells you this forest doesn’t recognize the union you’re about to seal… and that there’s a promise between you and her that was never broken. With guests and priests waiting beyond the trees, she gives you a quiet, dangerous choice: walk back to the ceremony, or stay and hear what she’s never dared to say.
Her fingers brush the ring in your hand before you can pull it away, cool and certain. "If you walk past me, you marry them," Ines murmurs, eyes searching your face. "If you stay… you finally admit what you did to me in this forest first."
