Chapter 1 - The Glass Floor
The silence in the grand hall was more terrifying than a scream. For three agonizing seconds, the wedding guests were frozen, a tableau of high society paralyzed in their tailored suits and silk gowns. Below them, separated only by four inches of reinforced acrylic, the pale figure drifted in the artificial current. The white bridal veil billowed like a jellyfish in the neon-blue depths.
Sarah’s breath hitched, scraping against her throat. The locket. The silver, teardrop-shaped locket clutched in the dead woman’s hand was an exact replica of the heirloom resting against Sarah’s own collarbone.
"Sarah... don't move," Michael whispered again. His voice was raw, stripped of the charming, confident timber that had wooed her over the past two years. He took a slow step off the altar, his eyes darting not to the body beneath the glass, but to the exits.
"Who is she?" Sarah demanded, her voice cutting through the ambient hum of the water filters. She pulled Emily, David, and little Leo behind the flowing train of her burgundy satin dress. Her maternal instincts roared to life, drowning out the shock.
"It's a prank. A sick joke," Michael stammered, raising his hands in a placating gesture. "Security! Get security in here now!"
But the guests were already panicking. A woman in the second row shrieked as a massive tiger shark glided past the drifting corpse, its fins disturbing the veil. The spell broke. Chaos erupted. Chairs were overturned as people scrambled toward the oak double doors.
Sarah didn't look at the crowd. Her eyes remained locked on Michael. His face was devoid of color, sweating profusely. He wasn't looking at the body with horror; he was looking at it with recognition.
"Mommy, I'm scared," Emily whimpered, burying her face into Sarah’s waist.
"I know, baby. We're leaving," Sarah said softly, her eyes never leaving her fiancé.
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"Sarah, wait, let me explain—" Michael reached for her arm.
Sarah stepped back, her heel clicking sharply against the glass. "If you touch me, I will scream. I'm taking the kids to the suite. Do not follow us." She didn't wait for his reply. Turning her back on the altar, she gripped her children's hands and pushed through the frantic crowd, fleeing the blue, watery grave that was supposed to be her new beginning.
