Chapter 1

**Sarah POV**

The church was an exquisite contradiction, steeped in an opulent blend of darkness and light. The air was saturated with the heady scent of roses and fresh linen, each corner meticulously adorned for the occasion. Yet beneath this perfection, an unsettling energy pulsed. I stood at the back, my heart a relentless drumbeat, the weight of my wedding dress wrapping around me like a shroud. Today was the day—I would marry Eren.

The man I adored. The one I trusted implicitly. The future I had envisioned for so long.

But as I moved forward, smiling at the guests who turned to watch, a disquieting sense of unease tugged at me, casting a shadow over the anticipation. Why did everything feel so surreal, so distant?

I lifted my gaze to Eren, standing at the altar, his smile bright and full of promise. He was everything I had ever desired—handsome, kind, successful. So why did I feel this strange dissonance, this nagging doubt?

And then I saw him.

Axel.

He stood in the shadows at the back, his dark eyes locked onto mine with a penetrating intensity that sent shivers down my spine. He wasn't supposed to be here. I hadn't seen Eren's older brother in months—not since that last, awkward encounter that left me off-kilter. Whenever Axel appeared, his brooding presence seemed to consume the space, pulling everything into his orbit.

I quickly turned my attention back to Eren, forcing myself to focus on the moment. I was getting married. This was my moment.

Yet Axel's presence lingered, an unsettling whisper at the edge of my consciousness.

---

By the time I stood next to Eren at the altar, my heart was a wild, erratic rhythm. I forced a smile, trying to quell the butterflies that danced in my stomach. Eren's hand was warm and reassuring in mine, a tether to reality.

"Do you, Eren Blackwood, take this woman, Sarah, to be your wife?"

"I do," he said, his voice a steady, confident anchor.

I turned to him, my heart racing. I loved him. This was my choice. But Axel's eyes were a shadow, darkening the periphery of my happiness. I looked down at my bouquet, willing myself to breathe deeply.

This is your life now. This is your future with Eren.

"Do you, Sarah, take this man, Eren, to be your husband?" the officiant asked, his voice gentle and soothing.

I hesitated, the weight of the question settling over me like a heavy cloak. I looked into Eren's trusting eyes. I couldn't back out now.

Say it. It's what you've always wanted.

"I do," I whispered, the words barely escaping my lips, yet enough to bind my future.

The officiant beamed. "Then by the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife."

The applause swelled around me, but it felt distant, like echoes from another world. I smiled, my lips trembling as I turned to Eren, our kiss sealing the moment. Yet, even as our lips met, Axel's presence loomed like a dark cloud, casting a shadow over the day.

---

Later, during the reception, I fought to push aside my unease. This was supposed to be a celebration, a moment of pure joy. But every time I glanced across the room, there he was—Axel, lurking in the shadows, arms crossed, observing with an unsettling intensity that seemed to pierce through the crowd.

I should have felt secure. I had just married the man I loved. But Axel's presence was a specter, a dark cloud growing heavier with each passing moment.

When the last guests began to trickle out and the music faded to a soft hum, I slipped outside for a breath of fresh air. The terrace overlooked the city, and the cool breeze was a welcome relief against the heat of the day.

Then I heard footsteps behind me.

It was him. Axel.

I had almost forgotten he was here, but now that he stood before me, I couldn't ignore the chill that ran through me. He had a way of making my skin prickle without even trying, his presence commanding without uttering a word.

"Eren's wife," Axel said, his voice smooth yet laced with something darker, something knowing. "It has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?"

My breath caught in my throat. His words felt too final, too aware. I was no longer just Sarah; I was Eren's wife, and Axel seemed acutely conscious of that shift.

"I didn't expect to see you out here," I said, trying to infuse my voice with casualness, but it wavered under the weight of his gaze.

Axel's lips curled into a faint, unsettling smile. "You're Eren's wife now, aren't you?" His gaze was unyielding, as if he could see the turmoil beneath my calm facade.

I swallowed hard, forcing myself to respond. "Yes, I am." I nodded, trying to inject steadiness into my voice. "But I'm sure you came to congratulate us, right?"

Axel stepped closer, his presence enveloping me like smoke, dense and inescapable. "Of course," he replied, yet there was no warmth in his tone. No sincerity. Just a lingering tension that seemed to coil around us.

I glanced away, desperate to break the tension. "I'm glad you're here, Axel. I didn't think you'd make the trip."

He let out a low, bitter laugh that seemed to echo in the night. "It wasn't easy, but I wouldn't have missed it." His eyes remained locked on mine, probing as if searching for hidden truths I didn't even know.

"I should head back inside," I said quickly, eager to escape this charged moment. I needed to find Eren. I needed to feel right again.

Axel didn't budge. Instead, his voice dropped to a low, almost menacing whisper. "Remember this moment, Sarah. Remember how it feels. Because nothing stays the same forever."

I froze, his words sinking in like a weight on my chest, their meaning both cryptic and foreboding.

Before I could respond, Axel turned and walked back toward the party, leaving me standing there, heart pounding, mind racing.

I stood there, heart pounding, unable to shake the feeling that his words were more than a passing comment. They felt like a warning, a premonition of something yet to come.

But of what? I couldn't understand. All I knew was that tonight, my life had shifted in a way I couldn't explain.

I turned and walked back into the reception, my mind spinning. Axel's cryptic words echoed in my thoughts, a haunting refrain I couldn't ignore. But I pushed them aside. I had married Eren. This was my life now.

Yet the seed of doubt had been planted. And no matter how hard I tried to ignore it, I knew it would grow, its roots reaching deep into the fabric of my new reality.