Chapter 1: The Bride

In the remote and impoverished mountain village where I lived, there was an ancient custom: on the wedding night, the bride must not bleed, or it would bring misfortune upon her husband. Therefore, before the bride married, someone else had to help her lose her virginity, a ritual commonly known as the Awakening Ceremony.

However, not just any man could perform this ceremony. The village chose one suitable person for the task, called the Awakener. 

Each Awakener's life was notably short throughout history because performing too many ceremonies brought them bad luck. They usually died around the age of forty due to various unforeseen accidents. As a result, few were willing to take on this role.

Those who did were often destitute and unable to support themselves. With no other options, they accepted the position. Every family in the village contributed to support the Awakener, hoping he would perform the ceremony for their daughters-in-law in the future. Moreover, each time he completed a ceremony, he received a red envelope from the bride.

Orphaned at the age of seven, I was raised by the village. When I turned eighteen, the current Awakener fell ill with a mysterious illness and died suddenly. 

The village couldn't go a day without an Awakener, so the elders approached me, urging me to take on the role. They said it was my turn to repay the community.

Reluctantly, I agreed, knowing that if I refused, I would be exiled from the village. Like many others in poverty, I felt my life was meaningless. If I could contribute to the village, perhaps my existence would mean something. Besides, no woman would want to marry me anyway. It was better to be an Awakener and experience being with women than to stay single my whole life.

A grand ceremony in the village's main hall marked my official initiation as the Awakener. Seven days later, my first assignment arrived. The wealthiest in the village, the Cassons, had a wedding. The groom was Dan Casson, and the bride was one of the village's three beauties, Mia Lyson.

Mia, two years older than me, was beautiful even as a child but also very fierce. She often bullied me because I was an orphan. 

Once, when I took a cucumber from her family's garden, she caught me and beat me up badly, causing my face to be swollen and blood down my mouth. The most humiliating part was when she pulled down my pants and used the cucumber on me cruelly.

That incident left a lasting scar on my childhood. Since then, I had been terrified of her and avoided her at all costs. Ironically, my first task as an Awakener was to perform the ceremony for her.

To say the least, it was awkward. 

Even though she had transformed into a graceful woman, my childhood fears lingered. However, getting this task brought a twisted sense of joy—I finally had a chance to get back at her for the cucumber incident.

The night before her wedding, Mia was brought to my house by the matchmaker, dressed in her wedding dress as tradition dictated. Her natural beauty was even more striking by her outfit and makeup, making her look even more enchanting.

After the matchmaker arrived with Mia, she gave me a few instructions before leaving.

Then, it was just Mia and me in the shabby room. 

It was my first time performing such a ceremony and on such a beautiful woman who had intimidated me for years. I could feel the mounting pressure as I had not done this before.

Gazing at the tall, graceful, and breathtakingly beautiful Mia, my heart pounded wildly, leaving me dazed and at a loss for what to do.

"Um, Mia, you look stunning tonight," I stammered, trying to ease my nerves with small talk.

"Your bed is filthy, Caden," she said, wrinkling her nose at my bed.

My name was Caden Zimmerman. 

Even now, she maintained her dominance, immediately pointing out my shortcomings.

"I'm poor, Mia. Having a bed at all is a luxury," I replied, embarrassed.

"I never imagined you'd become the village Awakener. You're quite lucky," she remarked.

"I didn't want this, but I had no choice. It's for survival," I explained.

"Don't you think this custom is superstitious? I don't want to go through with this," Mia said bluntly.

"This tradition has been around forever. Remember the educated guy, Parker Looske, who defied it and refused the ceremony for his bride, Camryn Lynch? He died on his wedding night. Camryn's been a widow ever since," I reminded her, fearing she'd meet the same fate.

The village knew the story well, and Mia certainly did, too. After that incident, no one dared defy the custom.

Mia didn't want to become a widow immediately after marriage. She blushed. "Let's just get this over with. The sooner it's done, the sooner I can get out of this dump."

The exhilarating moment had arrived. As the Awakener, I had to face this challenge, and Mia, preparing for marriage, had to endure it.

"Okay... alright. Please... remove your clothes," I stammered, my nerves getting the better of me.

"Mm," Mia replied, her face flushing red as she lowered her head to unbutton her dress.

Her shy demeanor was captivating, and I was entranced by her beauty.

As she undressed, her hands trembled, revealing her nervousness. It was her first time undressing before a man and going through something like this.

As Mia removed her clothes piece by piece, my heart raced, and her flawless figure entranced me. Her long, slender legs and perfect curves were like a work of art.

I thought to myself, if I could marry such a beautiful woman, I'd never want to leave the bed.

When Mia finally removed the last piece of her clothing, my nose bled uncontrollably.