Young Henry had only one thought in his head. He wanted to escape from this stuffy country house of his future bride. His father was sitting and chatting with the girl's father, whose face was clearly not intelligent. Yes, the girl was beautiful, but beauty was not the most important thing for Henry. He couldn't even remember her name. Natalie? Nelly? Yes, Henry had a phenomenal memory. But maybe the reason was that Henry's body rejected his future bride.

Henry was only eighteen, but he had already suffered a difficult rehabilitation after an accident and a damaged psyche. He hid his vulnerability behind a steel armor that he had perfected over the years.

But sometimes it was still unbearable to be around his family. Henry politely excused himself and left the table under the pretext of wanting to smoke. His future bride's father almost jumped up to accompany him, but Henry declined and hurried out into the garden.

The night was gentle. It was a cool summer night that brought a sense of peace. Henry took a drag, then paused for a moment. He saw a small gate leading out of the estate, and beyond that was an abandoned but well-maintained church with an old cemetery. Henry remembered this place well, as it was where he and his mother had buried his beloved dog, Zeus. He knew it was a foolish idea, but the urge to escape was stronger. Henry threw his cigarette butt into a bush of scarlet roses, turned around, and then walked away.

After fifteen minutes of wandering, Henry came to a cemetery and found the grave of his dog. Wild flowers grew on it. He sat on a stone and looked thoughtfully at the small mound of earth. Henry looked at the grave next to it. The old tombstone had the girl's name and the dates of her life. He was surprised to find that the girl had only lived for eighteen years. She was the same age as him. Henry wondered what had caused her death. Something made his soul tremble at the thought.

Henry stood in front of the girl's grave and then stroked the wild rose bush. The buds were surprisingly bright.

"You could have been my bride, too," Henry said thoughtfully, almost in a whisper, as he plucked a small bud and pricked his finger on a thorn.

Suddenly, he saw something moving under the ground, and Henry backed away. He felt a shiver run through him. He saw long, pale fingers emerging from the ground, followed by other parts of the body.

"What are you?" Henry asked in a frightened voice.

For the first time in a long time, he felt such vivid emotions. Something was making his heart beat faster, and it wasn't fear.