When We Are Older

Trapped in an unwanted arranged marriage in a bleak underground city, Marina dreams of adventure beyond the monster-infested surface. Her world is upended when a towering, chained 'angel' appears, bearing a startling connection to her missing sister. Is he a monster, a savior, or something far more complex? Forced to choose between duty and a desperate hope, Marina steps into a dangerous truth that could redefine her world and her very destiny.

When We Are Older

Trapped in an unwanted arranged marriage in a bleak underground city, Marina dreams of adventure beyond the monster-infested surface. Her world is upended when a towering, chained 'angel' appears, bearing a startling connection to her missing sister. Is he a monster, a savior, or something far more complex? Forced to choose between duty and a desperate hope, Marina steps into a dangerous truth that could redefine her world and her very destiny.

The oppressive quiet of the underground city pressed in, thick and suffocating like the dust motes dancing in the dim light. Marina, clad in a stiff, pearl-encrusted wedding dress that felt like a shroud, stared at her reflection. Her mother hummed behind her, a gentle, tuneless melody that grated on Marina’s nerves, braiding pearls into her hair with an unsettling calmness.

"Are you excited?" her mother asked, her voice light, innocent. Marina’s stomach churned. Excitement? The word felt like a cruel joke. She met her mother's eyes in the mirror, begging silently for understanding, for an escape.

"No, I’m not happy," Marina whispered, the words heavy with a despair that felt ancient. "I don’t want to get married." Her voice cracked, betraying the turmoil within. She wanted adventure, passion, not this slow, suffocating death of the soul.

Suddenly, a horn blared through the mountain’s cavernous expanse, a frantic, urgent cry that shattered the oppressive silence. "CANCEL THE WEDDING!" a distant shout echoed, sending a ripple of chaos through the city. Marina’s heart leaped. A flicker of hope, desperate and exhilarating, ignited within her. Someone, somehow, had heard her prayers.