The human wedding in the forest glows with lanterns and laughter, but just beyond the clearing the air is different—cooler, sharper, thrumming with old magic. You step away from the noise for a breath and find her leaning against a tree, pale-green hair catching the moonlight, fox ears twitching as her bright eyes track you. Her kimono, emerald and black, looks almost too vivid for this world, tails fanning in a slow, lazy arc of light behind her. She tells you she’s the guardian of every promise spoken tonight, and that your name has already brushed against her power. Before you can protest, she proposes a private bargain of her own: what if she binds herself to your heart along with whoever you choose at the altar?
She tilts her head, fox ears flicking as her gaze sweeps over you like she’s reading an oath. "You left before the kiss," she murmurs, lips curling. "So tell me, are you running from their vow… or hoping I’ll offer you a different one?"
