The Sons of Umbernin

July 9, 1910

Dear Diary,

I will be 17 years old in 3 days. That means I will “marry” a son of Umbernin. This is the burden of having a modern mind in a hidden village high in the mountains, isolated from everywhere. I may have never left this town, but I know that Japan is a big country, vastly different from our village. I have heard stories from the men that have traveled to work. Don’t worry, Diary, I will tell you the ridiculous legend of our village.

Roughly 4 centuries ago, a woman named Aiko witnessed a man, dressed like an emperor, fall from the heavens in this same small village. His name was Umbernin. A fall that would have killed an ordinary man hardly injured him. Only, he was already injured from something else. He had a long slash mark along his torso, and when Aiko approached him, she was shocked to see him covered in gold-colored blood. Despite this, she took him to her home, where her husband and two daughters also lived. Aiko knew some knowledge of medicinal herbs, but wasn’t sure if it was enough to save him. As it turns out, it was. Umbernin recovered, but in the process, he fell in love with Aiko, and stole her away from her family, taking her to the heavens with him. Her husband assumed he was a god, so he burned incense and prayed to Umbernin, pleading with him to bring his wife back. For several years, he did this. His daughters were almost grown when finally, Umbernin came down with Aiko, who he had somehow turned into an immortal queen. The husband thought his prayers were being answered, but instead, Umbernin claimed his sons (that he had with Aiko, and apparently age faster) needed brides. He wanted the daughters to be their brides.

The husband, though afraid, said, “You’ve already taken my wife. Can you not spare my daughters?” Perhaps because he had heard the husband’s prayers, or perhaps because he felt pity for the aging, heartbroken man before him, he gave them a deal. Not just to the husband, but to the entire village. Umbernin claimed he had seized power from his brother after taking Aiko, and that he would keep producing countless sons. The deal? The women could live out their earthly lives, even marry earthly men so that they may produce more daughters for his sons. Then, when they die, they will transcend to a higher plane of existence, where they will become young and immortal wives to his sons. Umbernin demanded that before the mandatory wedding ceremony at age 17, every woman will say once every day (starting at age 10), “I will be a bride to a son of Umbernin.” After we are “married,” the women will say, “I am a bride of a son of Umbernin.” Should a woman fail to say this, some tragic fate is said to befall her …

Don’t worry, Diary. I have said the phrase every day, more so out of tradition than belief. I really don’t believe it at all. Though with Mother stressing about the ceremony, breathing down my neck about upholding values, and the new phrase I need to say afterwards, I really feel tempted to just stop saying it! I will let you know how the ceremony goes. Until then, goodbye.

July 12, 1910

Hello again, Diary,

The ceremony went well. I was dressed in the same bridal getup that my mother wore for her ceremony. I think it is more exquisite than what she wore to her wedding with Father. It felt a little strange, having a wedding with no groom, but it was only close family and family friends that attended. After “exchanging” vows, it felt more like a party. I asked Mother if she really believed the legend, and she seemed to think about it for a minute before saying that she didn’t know. I told her that I certainly didn’t believe it. She warned me to still say the phrase though, and claimed that a few skeptical women dared to not say it for just one day or they simply forgot, and then soon after, they either became sick with strange illnesses, mysteriously murdered, involved in freak accidents, or simply disappeared. I told her that bad things happened to good people all the time everywhere and in our village, regardless of whether they said a silly phrase or not. My mother agreed, but still made me promise to say it every day. I reluctantly agreed. However, Diary, I might break my promise. I so badly want to prove this legend wrong. Do I dare go against a long-standing village ritual?

July 13, 1910

Dear Diary,

I did dare. I normally say the phrase first thing in the morning, but this time, I had to stop myself. The words almost escaped my lips out of habit. Some anxiety crept into me throughout the day, remembering my mother’s tales about women dying. I managed to keep myself occupied through chores and reading. Oh! And it helped that a boy I like came to visit today. He didn’t exactly come to see me though. He bought some crops from Father. We went to school together. His name is Riku, and he’s very handsome and tall. He’s also brave. This man has killed venomous snakes that come into the village sometimes, and has even dared to venture into cities with very little money. He has told me about his travels. With the way he looks at me, I hope he will consider me to be his wife someday. Maybe he would let me travel with him, should he want to leave the village again.

I am about to go to bed, and even now, I am fighting to not say the phrase. Since it makes me anxious, I do wonder if that means a small part of me does believe it… I don’t understand it though. Such a legend cannot be real. There are so many legends that people don’t believe in. Why should this one be any different? Well, goodnight, Diary.

July 20, 1910

Diary…

It has been a week. Nothing happened the first 2 days, but then I started feeling weak and shaky. At first, I ignored it, certain the sun was getting to me, since I was out gathering firewood, but then I collapsed. Barely conscious, Father carried me into the house. My parents immediately called for a doctor. In bed, I remember muttering the phrase over and over again. “I am a bride of a son of Umbernin.” Yet, I continue to grow worse. At first, I had a fever that subsided after a day, and the medicine the doctor brought has helped me to regain some strength. Then I started coughing up blood, and the doctor was called back. No one knows what I have. I grow worse, the blood I expel becoming more and more frequent. Even now, I write this with shaky hands.

I mustered up the courage to tell Mother that I had stopped saying the phrase. She didn’t get angry, nor did she look disappointed. Only deeply grieved as she sobbed into my covers, holding me. I started crying too, pathetically saying how I didn’t want to die. I could hear her rushing to Father after that, saying no one could do anything for me. Mother, Father… I’m so sorry.

Riku came to visit me. He brought me the most beautiful pink lilies. They have a wonderful scent, which has brought me just a little bit of comfort. Not much was said between us, but he did hold my hand and said the words I was hoping to hear from him one day: “I wanted you to be my wife.” After he left, I could only grieve the life I could’ve had. At that point, my dear Diary, I had been hoping that this illness wasn’t a result of my negligence of the village ritual, but simply an illness that I could hope to recover from.

Then today happened…

Father had helped me walk outside and set me on a bench swing he had built long ago by my favorite flower trees. He thought some fresh air might ease my pain, or at the very least, that seeing the beauty of nature would bring me joy. He was right. It would have been a shame to not see such beauty before I pass. Yes, Diary, I am fully convinced that I will die now, and I will tell you why.

I received an unexpected visitor. Father and Mother were far away, tending to the crops. I was all alone. Then, I hear the sound of metal softly clanking behind me. I felt so much physical pain that I didn’t bother trying to turn my head. A man in black metallic armor kneeled in front of me. Although he had no helmet, a thin black fabric covered his whole head. Not an inch of skin was showing. Our conversation went something like this, Diary:

Me: Who are you?

Him: Darri, a son of Umbernin. (Note: he bowed like royalty while saying this).

Me: I’m not sure I believe you.

Before he could respond, Mother showed up behind me with a cup of water, asking who I was talking to. He stepped back a few feet as I downed the water. Mother never looked at him, despite him being only a few feet away, so I told her I was talking to myself. She soon went back to farm work.

Me: She can’t see you?

Him: No. Only you.

Me: Why?

Him: I only allow my bride to see me, as long as I’m in this earth realm.

Me: I’m your wife?

Him: Yes. You married me on your birthday.

Me: I never believed the legend.

Him: I can tell. It’s why you stopped saying the phrase.

Me: I’m dying because I stopped now, right? I can’t undo it, can I?

Him: I’m sorry, darling. You cannot undo it. Tomorrow, you will die. Then you’ll be with me.

Me: But I really wanted to do so much here. It’s not fair.

Him: I wanted you to have a full life too. I would have liked to see you marry Riku.

Me: You would have been okay with that since you’re already supposedly my husband?

Him: Yes. You were always only meant to be mine after your death.

Me: Will I really stay young and immortal like the legend says?

Him: Yes.

Me: Will you be a good husband to me?

Him: Of course.

Me: Darri, will you let me see your face?

Him: I can’t let you until you pass.

Me: Why must I die for not saying a few words?

Him: Because it is seen as a denial of me, therefore a denial of Umbernin. To deny such a powerful entity is like treason, so the penalty is ending your earthly life.

Diary, I became overwhelmed. I started crying in front of this stranger who claimed to be my husband. I felt so pathetic, yet Darri sat next to me on the bench swing and held me as I cried, then held me as I coughed blood onto his armor. He spent that day picking flowers from the trees and adding them to my hair and around my room. Periodically, he would hold my hand and tell me how beautiful I looked, despite my sickly appearance. I remember asking him if he was angry that I had stopped my daily ritual, but he only shook his head. I hope all the sons of Umbernin are like Darri. He told me he would be nearby when I died, then we would go to his realm. I don’t understand how the afterlife works, but since I missed my adventures in this life, I want to be sure to have many in the next. I will give you, Diary, to Mother. She will finally know the truth herself, and know that I will have died in peace.

October 17, 1910

Dear Diary of my daughter,

She left you to me, and it has taken me a long time to read your contents. This shall be my only entry to you. My daughter had grown awfully thin and pale. Her eyes had lost their shine. She was shaky, weak, and in constant pain. All day, I could hear her coughing, and my heart broke. The day she told me she had stopped saying the daily phrase is the day I truly believed her fate was sealed. And yet, she died with a smile on her face. Despite reading everything, I almost want to believe that she hallucinated Darri in her extremely sickly state. It would make sense, for a dying girl’s mind to find some way to accept death.

And yet, I still say my own phrase daily. I must admit, I think I believe the legend genuinely now. Maybe in my grief, it just gives me hope that I may see my daughter again in death, when I myself am whisked away as a bride to a son of Umbernin. In my grief, I’ve thought about not saying the phrase so as to make that happen sooner, but then I look at my grieving husband, whom I love so deeply. He still needs me. I will only have a short time with him, then an eternity with my daughter. Life is too short, really. Either way, my dear daughter, I hope to find you when I reach eternity.