"The Unsought Light: A Japanese Fairytale Retelling with a Gothic Twist"

Hana dreams of floating away on the breeze like the cherry blossoms. But when an otherworldly stranger offers a chance at escape from the stifling bonds of impending arranged marriage, duty and desire collide in a war that threatens to bring down her family, her clan, and her village. Freedom. Passion. Family. Fate. What do you do when there are no good choices left? A Gothic NA Fantasy retelling of the ancient Japanese folktale The Maiden of Unai, this short story explores the untold perspective of a young woman destined for an arranged political marriage in a time and place where family fortunes mattered more than individual happiness or choice. Historical tragic romance in the vein of Romeo & Juliet with a supernatural twist and a lightly poetic seasonal framing device, this folktale is part of the Shinjū/"lover's suicide"/suicide pact genre in Japanese literature, and includes reader advisories on depictions of misogyny, parental abuse (emotional/non-physical), suicidal ideation, kidnapping, arson, murder, suicide, drowning. Escape into this delicately romantic tragic tale today!