Part 1The Heartbeat Paradox

My brother hated me for years.

In the final moment before I died, I made a wish: that he could find the person he loves and live happily ever after.

The next second, I was in a wedding dress, shooting bolt upright in my coffin.

My brother, Adrian, was placing a ring on my finger.

A notification chimed in my mind:

「Wish System activated. Target is currently with his most beloved person. Mission progress: 10%.」

「Please continue your efforts, Host, to fulfill your own wish.」

Me: "?"

* * *

"Do you promise to cherish her, to never leave her, until the end of time?"

"I do."

As Adrian Grant spoke those two words, my eyes snapped open inside the coffin.

Brilliant light poured through the chapel's stained-glass dome, only to be blocked by the man kneeling before me. His eyes were downcast, his hand holding mine, sliding something onto my ring finger.

A massive diamond threw blinding shards of light across the room.

He was dressed a little too formally for a funeral. His cold, handsome features were cast in the heavenly light, giving them a deathly stillness.

Oh. That was my brother.

The person who despised me more than anyone else in the world.

He actually came to my funeral?

Whispers rustled through the pews.

"The old man is really going through with it."

"Of course, he is. Mel was his precious granddaughter. Her dying wish was that she loved Adrian. What does he care about propriety at this point? Adrian had to marry her, dead or alive."

"Poor Adrian. He was supposed to marry Zoe. Now he has to spend the rest of his life bound to his dead sister."

"An adopted son… what's the difference between him and a dog, really?"

The words I was hearing didn't sound much like a eulogy.

Grandfather was forcing Adrian into a posthumous wedding with me?

I did confess to Adrian before I died, but I also told him I wanted him to be with the person he truly loved. The old man must have only heard the first part.

"Mr.… Mr. Grant…" the officiant stammered, his voice trembling.

Adrian’s movement stopped. He followed the officiant's gaze and his eyes locked onto mine. His expression froze. His grip on my wrist tightened, a crushing pressure that felt like it would snap the bone.

Pain shot through me, and I gasped. Seriously, does he have to hate me this much?

Suddenly, a gentle, mechanical voice echoed in my head.

「Wish System activated. Target is currently with his most beloved person. Mission progress: 10%.」

"What's going on?" I thought, bewildered. "Hello? Is anyone there?"

The voice in my head explained patiently, 「The Wish System is randomly distributed to grant the final wishes of the dying. Our records show your final wish was for your brother to be with the one he loves and find true happiness.」

"And?"

「Well, the person your brother loves most is you, Host. So, we've brought you back to life. You'll have to complete the wish yourself.」

The words struck me like a bolt of lightning.

Wait a second…

Adrian loves me?