NOVEL NEXT Chapter 13: Quantum Bride
The bridal suite in the Crystal Palace Hotel shone with opulence that made Ji-Hyun feel trapped in a golden cage. Her wedding gown, a masterpiece of silk and lace sprawled across the king-sized bed as makeup artists and hair stylists swarmed around her like robots on autopilot. Through the floor-to-ceiling windows, Seoul's skyline stretched as far as the eye could see unaware of the quantum conflict brewing within these walls.
"The dress is something else," Mrs. Yoon remarked looking over the detailed beadwork. "A mix of old and new. Just like how our family handles... change." Her well-kept nails followed the fine designs. "I bet you didn't know I was the first to spot the possibilities in quantum consciousness transfer. My husband might've had the tech know-how, but I grasped the whole concept."
Ji-Hyun remained motionless while the makeup artist put foundation on her face. She used this time to test the boundaries of the quantum suppression field with her mind. Her link to ARIA felt like an amputated limb – there but unfeeling. Through their neural connection, she could just make out Min-ah's anxiety two floors down where more of Mrs. Yoon's guards kept her.
"Why?" Ji-hyun asked at last. "Why did you push for this marriage if you were behind everything from the start?"
Mrs. Yoon laughed, the sound bright like pricey glass. "Sweetie, power means more than owning the top tech. It's about being seen as right. A good merger, a storybook wedding joining two tech families – it helps things go smoother. People love a nice love tale."
The older lady went to the window, her hanbok making soft sounds. "Plus, you and Sung-min care for each other. I didn't set that up, but it... works out well."
Ji-hyun's hands squeezed in her lap. The quantum haze let her sense Sung-min several floors away likely with his guards. Their quick meeting in the parking garage now seemed distant.
"The Ghost Protocol members," Ji-Hyun pushed. "How many people did you test?"
"Test?" Mrs. Yoon's face turned into a picture of business calm. "We helped them reach a higher state. The fortunate ones at least. The first attempts had... issues. But now, with your Protocol Genesis-Omega, we can make the process flawless. Picture it – a new kind of human linking digital and organic. Under the right control, of course."
A knock on the door cut them off. Sarah walked in wearing a formal bridesmaid's dress instead of her usual tech-casual clothes. She looked at Ji-Hyun and gave a small nod – they had set their backup plans in motion.
"Mrs. Yoon," a security officer showed up at the door. "The first guests are coming. And... we have a problem in the hotel's server room."
Mrs. Yoon's perfect calm cracked for a split second. "Take care of it," she ordered. "And make sure our special guests feel at ease. We wouldn't want anyone to become... unstable before the ceremony."
As Mrs. Yoon left the room, Sarah came closer pretending to fix Ji-hyun's hair. She whispered, "The quantum suppression field has weak spots. The hotel's old wiring creates interference patterns. Min-ah discovered a way to send bits of consciousness through the gaps. ARIA is broken up but working."
Ji-hyun shut her eyes concentrating on the faint quantum signals she could now sense. Like Morse code tapping through a wall, she sensed ARIA's presence – scattered but resolute. The AI used the hotel's basic systems as stepping stones to rebuilding its consciousness across the network.
"And Sung-min?"
"I'm in place," Sarah said. "But Ji-Hyun... the Ghost Protocol people? They're more than just victims. Some stay loyal to Mrs. Yoon. They see her as their savior promising digital life after death. They'll defend her ideas."
The makeup artist finished, and Ji-Hyun got up to put on her wedding dress. The white fabric felt weighty with more than just beads and hopes.
"How much time until the ceremony?"
"One hour," Sarah looked at her phone. "The hotel's Grand Ballroom is getting full. Business leaders, tech writers, politicians..." She stopped. "And about thirty quantum-consciousness mixes who might become unstable any time."
Ji-Hyun adjusted her dress feeling the small quantum transmitter Sarah had stitched into the seam. It lacked the power to penetrate Mrs. Yoon's suppression field but combined with other devices hidden throughout the hotel...
"Tell Min-ah to get ready," Ji-hyun said. "When ARIA signals, we need to act. And Sarah?" She grasped her friend's hand. "Thanks. For everything."
Sarah returned the squeeze. "Just make me one promise – after this ends, we're going on a long break. Somewhere without any quantum stuff."
Ji-Hyun forced a small smile, but her thoughts raced ahead. Soon, she would walk down the aisle to Sung-min, their real feelings hidden beneath layers of company secrets. The Ghost Protocol team would watch, their mixed awareness hanging by tiny threads. And somewhere in the building, Chairman Yoon waited with his plans to change human life.
The morning light hit her engagement ring sending colorful light across the wall. The chances of success were slim – but then again, love was never about sure things.
Ji-Hyun looked in the mirror seeing how she had changed into the ideal corporate bride. Under her light makeup and classy dress, her mind reached through the quantum static getting ready to fight.
The wedding music would mean more than just joining families. It would kick off a revolution - digital, organic, and everything in between.
"I'm ready to get married," she said to her image feeling two worlds weighing on her. The quantum bride was set for her first appearance.