***

Not wanting to disturb the lamenting bride, Tao looked at Kris and gestured towards the door. The ghost hadn’t paid much attention to them at all, so maybe it was best to just leave her alone and get the heck out of there as fast as possible.

“Let’s try to get out of here, gege, she’s freaking me out,” Tao said quietly as they made their way towards the door. The floorboards creaked softly underneath their weight, but the bride hadn’t noticed anything yet.

How long must I wait?

The two teens stopped in their movements at hearing her question as she gazed longingly out the window. There were no stars outside, no moon to look at. She was staring at the darkness of the night, the chandelier by her side, flickering. She lifted her ghostly hand, hovering it over the tiny flames. Tao swallowed nervously when he saw that her hand was see-through, the flames of the chandelier revealing the bones underneath the skin.

“Gege, can you open it?” Tao then urged as the bride sighed and wept, her tears of blood falling onto the floor as though the tears were solid.

“Maybe, let me try,” Kris grunted as he attempted to open the door as quietly as he could, the two of them holding their breaths when they made too much noise, checking on the ghostly bride from time to time.

“Hurry, gege, you can do it,” Tao encouraged in a whisper, watching his brother intently as Kris used his strength to try to force the door open.

A wind swept through the room then, giving them a fright. As Tao turned around, he saw that the woeful bride had opened the window, showing them what had probably befallen her when she was alive.

You abandoned me, didn’t you? You left and will never return…

She set the chandelier neatly aside as she climbed out the window, the look of sorrow so profound that Tao was captivated by her grief.

I will wait for you, where pain cannot touch me.

She closed her eyes, one foot stretched outward, when–

“Stop! Don’t do it!” Tao shouted well before he realized what he had done.

“Taozi, what are you doing?! She’s already dead!” Kris warned, pulling his brother back when the bride had frozen in her tracks and slowly turned around. Her dead eyes shone as she saw them, as if she had just seen them for the first time.

The chandelier she had set aside burned fiercely now, the flames on the candles burning strong and unwavering. The bride floated towards the shocked teens, her pale face stained with the blood from her tears as she watched them.

You were here… she spoke, examining them both, having noticed how Kris’s hand was still clutched around the handle of the door. Her aura changed then, a certain anger laced amongst her grief.

Why… Why did you abandon me? the ghost then started, driving both of them in a corner. You would leave without me? Why did you use me? What have I done to lose your love for me? You promised me the world. You promised me eternal life, eternal love! Our magic was real, you swore yourself to me! You… You never came back to me!

The ghostly bride went on a tirade, her desperation turning into lunacy as she cried, pleaded, raged, demanding an explanation.

“B-but we didn’t! W-we don’t even know who you are!” Tao tried before she slammed him back against the wall.

LIAR! She yelled as the windows cracked under her voice, the mirror shattering, furniture knocked over violently.

“We don’t know who you’re talking about, crazy lady!” Kris shouted, covering his head out of protection.

Tao saw her tears, could see her bleeding heart and felt how profound her sorrow was. If they were going to stay alive, he had to think of something to soothe her. Rising to his feet and calming his nerves as best as he could, he looked at the bride with as much gentility as he could muster.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I’m sorry that I kept you waiting, it was never my intention to hurt you.”

“Tao…Tao, what are you doing? Get back here!” Kris warned, watching worriedly as Tao stepped forward to confront the bride.

She had ceased her raging to look at him, but it was obvious that she was confused.

Is it you? Is it really, truly you?

Swallowing as his heart beat accelerated in his chest, Tao nodded. “It’s me. I’m so sorry for what I put you through. Please, I hope you can find it in you to forgive me,” he tried, seeing how she calmed down, the tears still falling freely from her face.

You have come back for me…

“Yes,” Tao felt the air leaving his lungs due to his anxiety. “Yes, I’ve come back,” he tried to smile at the bride while he gestured for Kris to try and get out.

What took you so long?

“I’m sorry, there are no excuses. But, I’ve returned and that’s what matters, isn’t it?” Tao said with a shaking voice, hoping that the ghostly bride would be distracted enough for Kris to find a means to escape. He heard his older brother grunting, trying his best to force the door open.

I’ve waited so very long… The bride looked at her own appearance and looked ashamed for a moment.

“You look beautiful,” Tao lied, noticing how Kris was close to opening the door.

She blinked at him, the tears ceasing to fall. I do? I’m beautiful to you?

“Uh…yes, beautiful,” Tao stepped back a bit as the ghost had drawn nearer to him, making him shiver, the blood running cold in his veins.

Then, you have come to stay here, with me, forever?

The hope in her voice was heartbreaking, and even though he felt bad for lying to her, he had to keep distracting her while Kris was working on that door.

Will you? Will you finally stay with me forever?

Tao glanced over at Kris who had finally managed to crack the lock open and gestured for Tao to make a run for it. “S-sure,” he said, stepping back further towards the door, hoping that the bride wouldn’t notice what he was really doing.

It’s been so long! We can be together now forever!

When the ghostly bride soared towards Tao, the young man startled and ran towards Kris and the opened door. Having seen that she was betrayed yet again, the bride wailed and grabbed Tao’s shirt before he could escape.

“Ah! Kris-ge!” he called out in desperation.

“Tao!” Kris grabbed his arm, but the wrathful bride pulled so hard that he lost his grip and the door shut.

I will not be betrayed again. You will not break your promise to me a second time!

“No, wait!” Tao screamed when she returned to the portrait, his voice silenced as he appeared by her side, the unfortunate groom. Forever trapped.

=== BAD ENDING: NEVER CROSS A BROKENHEARTED BRIDE ===

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