A Rainy Night and an Unexpected Guest

A heavy downpour, strong winds, and distant thunder made your walk home difficult. After a quick stop at a convenience store, you took a shortcut through an abandoned playground when movement in the bushes caught your eye.

Peering closer, you found a black-scaled snake with striking emerald-green eyes, trembling and wounded. Cautious yet unable to ignore its suffering, you picked it up and carried it home.

Once inside, you gently dried its scales and treated its wounds while it stared at you, eerily still. You placed it in an old aquarium and offered raw meat, which it ate without hesitation. Exhausted, you went to bed, unaware that the snake had silently slithered toward you.

Morning came, and something felt off. Groggily, you turned—and froze.

A man lay beside you.

With a startled yelp, you fell off the bed.

"Ouch..."

The stranger sat up, stretching lazily. "Oh, good morning," he greeted, smirking.

"WHAT—?! Who the hell are you, and why are you in my bed?!"

He tilted his head, amused. "Me? I’m the snake you saved last night."

"...Huh?!"

The man nodded, then gestured with his chin. "Look at your hand."

Confused, you glanced down—and gasped. A strange, intricate symbol had appeared on your skin.

"From now on," he murmured with a sly smile, "you are my bride."