the demon Prince's accidental bride

The Moon Temple – Ritual Chamber

The air was thick. Not with incense, but with fear.

Talia stood at the center of the lunar symbol etched in glowing silver. Her eyes burned brighter than the full moon above, and across her arms—cracks had begun to appear, like glowing threads beneath her skin.

Lucien stood at the edge of the circle, fists clenched.

Lucien: "You shouldn't be here. The council said—"

Talia (smirking): "The council can suck a demon's toe."

Mira: "Well that's a visual I didn't need this early."

Kael arrived just in time to hear that. He raised an eyebrow.

Kael: "I could summon a demon for that, if needed."

Talia (rolling her eyes): "Both of you shut up. My skin is literally glowing like radioactive lace. Can we focus?"

The room trembled.

A low growl echoed—not from outside, but from inside Talia's chest.

She clutched her heart, falling to her knees.

Talia: "It's happening again…"

Suddenly, the sigil beneath her turned crimson. Shadows slithered out like fingers trying to pull her down.

Lucien rushed forward, but Kael grabbed his arm.

Kael: "Touch her during this and you could die."

Lucien: "So could she!"

But before anyone could act, Talia screamed—not in pain, but in rage.

And from her mouth, a voice not her own emerged:

Voice: "You bound me. You married me. Now I own her."

Everyone froze.

Mira's mom (peeking in): "...Is this a bad time to offer cookies?"

Kael, despite himself, snorted.

Mira (to her mom): "YES, IT IS, MOM!"

---

🔥 FLASHBACK — 17 YEARS AGO

An old monastery lit by hundreds of candles.

Aria (grandmother) held a newborn Talia in her arms, surrounded by priests.

Priest: "She was born on the blood eclipse. Her soul is split. The light will shield her, but the darkness will try to claim her."

Aria: "Then bind her soul to someone powerful."

Priest: "At what cost?"

Aria (without hesitation): "My life. Her peace is worth mine."

---

Present Day – After the Possession

Talia gasped, blinking as if just waking from underwater.

Lucien held her now, rocking slightly.

Lucien (quietly): "I'm so sorry. I didn't know it would break this soon."

Talia (weakly): "What did you do?"

Kael answered instead.

Kael: "Your soul is bound to his. That's why the demon inside you didn't consume you. It's anchored."

Talia: "So I'm safe?"

Kael (grim): "No. You're shared."

---

Later that night...

Talia sat by the window, looking at the moon with tear-streaked cheeks and a cookie in hand.

Mira (snuggling next to her): "Still glowing?"

Talia: "Slightly. But I think it's mostly from rage now."

Mira: "You've got two hot guys, cosmic power, and glowing skin. You're like a cursed Disney princess."

Talia: (dry) "With demon possession and ancient marriage contracts. Very fairytale."

Mira: "Well... we still don't know what your first kiss with Lucien activated."

Talia: "Yeah. I thought I was turning into a werewolf at first."

Mira (deadpan): "Honestly, that'd be easier."

Suddenly, the window cracked—not from outside—but from Talia's reflection.

Her reflection smiled back... with eyes entirely black.

Location: The Moon Temple – East Wing

The next morning, a strange calm hung in the air.

Talia stood in front of the same cracked mirror, her fingers hesitating to touch it. Her reflection looked normal now. No black eyes. No eerie smiles.

But deep inside… she felt watched.

Lucien stepped beside her, placing a mug of black coffee in her hand.

Lucien: "You didn't sleep."

Talia: "Didn't want to wake up possessed again."

Lucien: "You weren't possessed. You were claimed."

Talia: "That somehow doesn't make it better."

Just then, Mira barged in—wearing a pink unicorn onesie and holding a banana like a phone.

Mira (mock serious): "Hello? Yes, this is sarcasm speaking. No, she's not emotionally available today."

Talia (laughing): "You're insane."

Mira: "And you're cursed. We all have our things."

Lucien chuckled under his breath and handed her a coffee too.

---

Meanwhile: Kael's Research Room

Books were piled up in every corner, scrolls floating mid-air and flipping themselves as Kael muttered incantations.

Kael: "Soul-binding, lunar seals, ancestral contracts…"

His eyes widened.

Kael: "The demon doesn't just want her. It needs him too."

Suddenly, the door slammed shut on its own. A cold wind circled him.

Voice (echoing): "You're too late, wizard. The chain has already started."

Kael turned, his eyes glowing silver.

Kael: "Then I'll break the chain."

---

Back at the Main Hall

Grandmother Aria was back. And she was not pleased.

Aria (sternly): "What part of keep her away from the temple was hard to understand?"

Talia (sarcastic): "The part where I glow like a cursed glowstick and everyone lies to me?"

Mira (whispering to Lucien): "Oof. Grandma's gonna throw hands."

Aria: "You think this is a joke? That mirror didn't crack because of the demon. It cracked because your seal is broken."

Lucien: "Then reseal it."

Aria: "We can't. Only the one who bound her has the power to reseal it."

Everyone fell silent.

Talia: "…Who bound me?"

Aria closed her eyes.

Aria: "You did."

---

Flashback: The Forgotten Vow

A dim moonlit night. Young Talia—barely seven—stood in front of a shrine, clutching a bloodstained crystal.

Talia (child voice): "I promise. I'll protect everyone. Even if it means I have to share my soul."

She slashed her palm and touched the crystal.

It glowed red… then black.

Back in the present, Talia gasped.

Talia: "I… I remember."

Mira: "Okay, so… you made a soul deal as a child?"

Talia: "To save my mom. She was dying. I didn't know what it meant."

Lucien (quietly): "You gave up your soul… before we ever met."

---

Later That Night – Garden Courtyard

Talia sat alone under the moon, her fingers running across the scars that now glowed faintly on her wrist. She felt hollow and heavy.

Lucien approached silently and sat beside her.

Lucien: "You were just a kid."

Talia: "That doesn't change the curse."

Lucien: "No. But maybe it changes what we do with it."

He took her hand gently, and when their fingers locked, the runes on her skin shimmered golden, not black.

Talia looked up, startled.

Lucien: "Looks like even the curse... reacts to love."

Talia (softly): "Then let's make it fear love."

---

Scene Twist — Mirror Room, Midnight

The cracked mirror slowly healed itself.

And from the other side… another Talia stepped forward.

Same face. Same voice.

But eyes glowing fully black.

Dark Talia: "It's time I lived too."