the demon Prince's accidental bride

Talia had seen many strange things since being kidnapped into the demon realm, but nothing—nothing—prepared her for The Mirror Room.

She stood before the arched entrance, wrapped in dark ivy and glowing softly under the cursed moonlight. The castle's ancient butler, Grott, grinned behind her like a corpse that had forgotten how to die.

> "His Highness wants you to face your reflection tonight," Grott whispered dramatically, "It's... tradition."

Talia looked at him. "Reflection? I face my reflection every morning. It usually insults me for not brushing my hair."

Grott let out a hollow wheeze. "Not this one. This mirror shows your truth... and sometimes lies."

> Great. A haunted therapy session, she thought.

---

Inside the Room

The room was circular and full of antique mirrors. Tall ones. Cracked ones. One hanging upside-down. And in the center—a massive, oval mirror framed with blackened gold.

Lucien leaned against the far wall, arms folded, watching her like he always did. That silent brooding thing. It was sexy. Annoying, but sexy.

> "Why do I feel like I'm about to accidentally summon a cursed ballerina or something?" she mumbled.

Lucien gave a rare smirk. "Because you're not entirely wrong."

She stepped toward the mirror. Her reflection stared back—same messy hair, same confused eyes. But then, it blinked before she did.

> "Okay, I saw that. That was NOT me. That was Mirror-Me," she whispered, taking a step back.

The mirror-Talia smiled slowly. Blood trickled down from its eyes.

---

Meanwhile, in the Mortal World

Back home, her best friend Mira (who had recently joined a "Witches For Beginners" group chat), was in Talia's room, trying yet another chaotic spell to find her.

She chanted with full drama:

> "Oh great spirits, reveal Talia's fate… or at least her location! Or her Wi-Fi password!"

A puff of green smoke filled the room—and instead of a vision, her laptop turned into a loaf of bread.

Mira screamed. "Why does this keep happening?! I asked for a GPS pin, not gluten!"

Talia's mom, Mrs. Rayne, barged in.

> "Mira! What did I say about summoning things in my kitchen!?"

"Technically, we're in Talia's bedroom—"

"WHICH IS ABOVE MY KITCHEN. YOU BURNED MY CEILING LAST WEEK!"

---

Back in the Demon Castle

Talia's reflection now smiled wider, unnaturally wide.

> "You'll never fit here," it whispered.

"You'll never belong—because you were meant to be Queen."

Suddenly, the mirror cracked—spiderwebs racing across the glass. The air turned cold. Talia stumbled back—

—and Lucien caught her, one hand on her waist, the other pulling her into his chest.

> "It's just the mirror testing you. It feeds on fear," he said softly.

"You didn't run. That's what matters."

She looked up at him, breath hitching.

> "You knew this would happen."

"I wanted to see how you'd survive it," he whispered, eyes dark.

The Soft Moment That Followed

There was a pause—charged, quiet.

His eyes softened just enough to make her heartbeat trip.

> "You're stronger than you think," Lucien added.

"And... you're not alone here."

Her voice dropped to a whisper. "You mean that?"

"I wouldn't lie to the woman who just threatened a haunted mirror with sarcasm."

> They laughed. Just a little. But it was real.

Then—

CRACK!

The mirror shattered entirely. A ghostly hand reached out from inside, grabbing Talia's ankle.

Talia screamed. Lucien yanked her back—just as the creature from inside the mirror screeched and vanished into black smoke.

---

Later That Night

Wrapped in a velvet blanket near the fire, Talia sat beside Lucien in silence. He poured her a cup of something warm and glowing.

> "That wasn't just fear magic," she whispered. "It said... I'm meant to be queen?"

Lucien stared at the fire for a long while.

> "Some mirrors... don't lie," he said quietly.

"And some truths, Talia, are dangerous."

The castle was buzzing. Dark-winged creatures flew in lazy circles above, and glowing lanterns floated in midair, lighting up the black sky like fireflies on fire.

Tonight was The Soul Lantern Festival — a once-a-year event where the living and the dead danced together, a thin veil separating the two.

Talia stood in the grand balcony in a deep red velvet gown, her hair loosely curled, a silver chain circling her forehead like some forgotten warrior queen. Her eyes sparkled, partly from excitement… and partly from terror.

> "Why do I feel like one wrong move and I'll be dancing with my ancestors?" she asked, half-laughing.

Lucien stood beside her, wearing a midnight-black robe embroidered with silver threads that shimmered like constellations.

> "Because… that might happen," he said calmly.

"But don't worry. If any ghost tries to dance with you, I'll kill it again."

> "Wow. So romantic. 'I'll kill your dance partner.'"

"Only if they touch you too much."

She gave him a smirk, hiding the way her heart raced. He was standing so close—the heat between them almost unbearable.

The music began. A low, ancient rhythm. Souls started appearing — wispy and glowing, with hollow smiles and empty eyes.

Just as Lucien reached out his hand to ask Talia to dance, a new figure arrived.

Lord Raikhan — a rival demon lord, taller than necessary, dressed in emerald and black, with fangs slightly too polished.

> "Lady Talia," he said with a bow, taking her hand, "Would you honor me with this dance?"

Talia blinked. "Uhhh—"

Lucien growled. Actually growled.

> "She's not available."

Raikhan smirked. "I asked her, not her bodyguard."

Talia glanced between the two. She was about to politely refuse when Lucien stepped forward and wrapped his arm around her waist.

> "She's not a guest," Lucien said coldly.

"She belongs to me."

> Talia's eyes widened. "Excuse me?! I belong to no one—"

Lucien leaned down, brushing his lips dangerously close to her ear.

> "Then prove it," he whispered. "Say no."

She stared at Raikhan.

> "Sorry," she said with a sweet smile. "I already promised Lucien the first dance. And the second. And maybe the fight afterward."

---

The Dance

Lucien led her to the dance floor made of shadowed glass, the glowing souls swirling all around them.

The music shifted — ancient violins and whispers of the dead echoing together. Talia's hand slipped into Lucien's.

> "Are you always like this at parties?" she asked as they danced.

"Only when another man tries to steal my queen."

She rolled her eyes but couldn't help the blush rising to her cheeks.

> "I'm not your queen."

"Not yet."

His fingers tightened on hers. The world blurred as they spun, ghosts moving around them in a shimmering spiral.

Suddenly—one of the souls stopped dancing, turned to Talia, and whispered—

> "The cursed child lives…"

Talia froze.

> "What did it say?" Lucien asked.

> "I—I think it called me a cursed child?"

Another ghost hovered by and whispered again—

> "The heart of both worlds… the queen of none."

Talia stumbled. Lucien caught her again.

> "You're hearing prophecies," he said grimly. "That's… not good."

---

Meanwhile: Back in the Human World

Mira had finally managed to turn her bread-laptop back into an actual laptop. (Mostly.) She was reading ancient demon realm forums—half were in gibberish, the other half in dramatic cursed poetry.

> "Okay, okay, okay… 'Soul Lantern Festival… curses whispered to the chosen one… portals open under full moons…'"

She gasped.

> "OH NO. Talia's cursed! And I'm out of snacks!"

Without thinking, she picked up the cursed glitter eyeliner she got from that weird Etsy store, and drew a glowing sigil on her bedroom floor.

> "Alright. Plan C: Open a portal, jump into demon land, and yell at Lucien myself."

She began chanting — and suddenly her room exploded in a burst of glitter and wind.

> "OH SWEET MERLIN I DID NOT THINK THIS THROUGH—"

---

Back in the Demon Realm

The music had stopped. The souls hovered, whispering riddles that no one could understand.

Lucien pulled Talia away from the floor.

> "We need to leave. Now. Those souls recognized you. That means someone else might too."

Talia gripped his hand. "Lucien… why do I feel like I've been here before? Like I belong to both this world and mine?"

Lucien stopped walking. His expression tightened.

> "Because maybe… you do."

Before she could ask more, a loud CRACK echoed across the castle.

A portal of glitter and smoke exploded open—and out tumbled Mira, covered in sparkles, holding a half-melted candle and yelling:

> "TALIA! I FOUND YOU! AND—why does everything here smell like ancient sadness?!"

Lucien looked at her like she was a particularly annoying pixie.

> "What… is that?"

Talia groaned. "That's Mira."

Episode 20

Talia learning a painful truth about her birth

Mira causing magical chaos in the demon kitchen

A secret room with a crown and a blood-stained letter

And Lucien finally almost… almost confessing his real feelings