Where Blossoms No Longer Fell

Every year, the village had to choose a girl of age to become the Blossom Bride.

The girl who was chosen would be sent into the cave as the village god’s wife. She would spend the entire night with him.

If she came out alive, she would be honored for the rest of her life as a village elder. Any child she bore was said to be blessed, destined for a life of effortless fortune.

If she died, the village would simply wait for the next year, when another Blossom Bride would be chosen.

The blessing of the Blossom Bride was believed to pass on to her parents and elders as well.

However, no one wanted to be chosen. To escape the ritual, families quietly left the village, one after another.

I was the only one who volunteered.

I had a lust problem, and I had always wondered what it would feel like to be with a god.

The day before the sacrifice, I was sprawled on my bed at home, mindlessly scrolling through my phone.

Suddenly, the yard outside was filled with people.

The village chief walked in front of the crowd. "Josie, we've come to bring you good news!"

I rolled off the bed and jumped to my feet. "Chief, can I finally become the Blossom Bride?"

The chief smiled warmly. "Your older sister went into the cave last year. By right, it shouldn't be your turn yet. But since you insisted, we opened the ancestral hall and asked the ancestors for guidance.

"We have performed the ritual to ask for ancestors' approval, and they agreed. So, it's settled. You'll go."

"That's great!"

I was so happy I practically leapt into the air.

The chief raised a hand, telling me not to get too excited. "These are the things you'll need to prepare. We'll send you off tomorrow morning at eight.

"I've asked a few experienced women to help you get ready. If you don't understand anything, just ask them."

I quickly thanked him. "I've never done this before. What exactly am I supposed to do on the wedding night?"

One of the neighbours frowned. "We'll teach you tonight. We need to help you prepare your wedding clothes now."

I dashed into my room and came right back out, carrying a full set of bridal robes and a headdress in my arms.

"I've always dreamed of marrying a god, so I prepared these long ago."

Our village had not been doing well these past few years. More and more people had left to work in the cities.

I was the only unmarried woman left among those who stayed.

Thus, even though I was already twenty-eight, I was still chosen.

As someone who had dreamed since childhood of marrying a god, I had been preparing for this day for a very long time.

The moment the village chief and the others left, I eagerly asked the older women how I was supposed to serve the god.

One of them