Everyone got married at 21. That’s just how it worked. On your 21st birthday, the government handed you a sealed file—the name and details of your soulmate, chosen by whatever algorithm or force they trusted. You were expected to meet them that very night… and marry the next day.

Lucas was out celebrating with his friends, trailing just behind them as they joked and laughed. Two of them were already married, having turned 21 earlier that year. The other two still had one more year of freedom. But Lucas? His time was up. Midnight was fast approaching, and with it, the end of the unknown.

He tried to enjoy himself, but his nerves gnawed at him. The thought of marrying someone he’d never even met made his stomach churn. What if they didn’t get along? What if she didn’t like him? What if—?

The restaurant’s clock struck midnight.

Right on cue, two government officers walked in with unsettling precision, like they’d been watching from the shadows, waiting. They moved straight toward him without a word and handed him a single envelope—clean, white, and heavy with the weight of his future—before turning and disappearing into the night.

His friends turned in unison, eyes wide. Duke leaned forward, practically buzzing with excitement.

“Dude… your future wife is in there. What do you think? Who do you think it is?”

Lucas stared at the envelope, his hands trembling slightly. His voice came out in a low, unsteady breath.

“I don’t know, man… I’m scared.”

Jeremy snorted with a laugh. “What? Scared she’s gonna be ugly?”