Chapter 2

There were only seven days left before I had to leave. With a sense of unease, I carried the bag of gifts and stepped into the hospital ward.

The door wasn't fully closed, and I found that not only were my brothers and Nora there, but Zachary was too.

Nora pouted, looking aggrieved as she whined, "The hospital is so boring. How much longer do I have to stay here?"

Zachary replied, "You'll stay until you're fully recovered."

Nora then grabbed Corey's hand and asked sweetly, "When I get better, will you take me to Everfrost to see the aurora?"

Corey smiled and nodded. "Sure."

Wesley added, "If you obediently rest up, we won't just take you to see the aurora, we'll even visit the amusement parks in the human world."

"I knew you guys loved me the most!" Nora beamed, completely blissful.

The warm light from the hospital ward created a cozy atmosphere, completely different from the cold air that hung in the hallway.

My brothers and Zachary had clearly promised to take me to see the aurora after my coming-of-age ceremony. Yet, they had now completely forgotten about me.

I swallowed the bitterness in my heart and stood there for a while before pushing open the door.

The room was decorated with string after string of colorful lights. A tall Christmas tree stood by the window. Beautifully wrapped gift boxes were hanging from its branches, and snowy-white throws were spread on the carpet.

It looked specially arranged.

Nora was wrapped in a soft blanket and curled up in the hospital bed. When she saw me enter, she was momentarily stunned, but her eyes quickly reddened as she whimpered softly, "She really came..."

Corey glanced at me, and the disgust in his gaze was evident. Meanwhile, Wesley didn't even bother looking at me.

Zachary stayed seated and didn't spare me a glance. Instead, he gently unwrapped a piece of candy and held it up to Nora's lips. "Here, sweetheart. Have some candy. You'll feel better."

Standing at the doorway, I felt like a fool who didn't belong. Even so, I still forced myself to move forward, extending my hand to offer the gifts to my brothers and Nora.

"These are... the presents I got for you." My throat was burning, but I swallowed hard and added quietly, "It's Christmas. I just wanted to show a bit of thought."

Zachary let out a cold laugh and finally looked up at me. "You still have the nerve to talk about thoughtfulness? Faye, when are you going to drop the act?"

I opened my mouth to speak, but nothing came out. I held the gifts there until my arms went numb, but no one reached out to take them. My face burned with humiliation.

It was Nora who finally broke the silence. She turned to Corey and murmured sweetly, "I want to see what she got you."

Corey's voice was full of indulgence as he said, "Sure. Whatever you want."

Then he looked back at me with visible disgust. "Open it."

I forced myself to unwrap the gift carefully, trying not to tremble. For Corey, I had bought a pair of custom-made cufflinks. Then, I opened the gift for Wesley. It was a Lego set I'd specially gone to the human world to buy.

Ever since Nora came into the picture, she'd taken over my allowance. I had scraped together what little I had by hauling medical supplies heavier than myself across dangerous borders, risking attacks from rogues and vampires.

I didn't spend a single cent on myself. Every penny went into these gifts, hoping my brothers would spend just one last Christmas with me before I left.

Nora glanced at the presents with a hint of contempt. "These are the gifts you picked for them?"

"Yeah," I answered softly, my fingers curling in on themselves.

"Faye, this is just... pathetic," Zachary mocked. "Your brothers are Alpha wolves. And this is the cheap trash you bring them?"

Wesley chimed in, mocking me. "Didn't Corey give you enough spending money? And you got this? What a joke."

A flash of guilt flickered across Nora's eyes.

My cheeks burned from the embarrassment. I tried to explain, but the words were stuck in my throat.

Nora casually tossed the cufflinks and Lego aside like garbage. Yet, my brothers didn't stop her. Obviously, they all looked down on these gifts.

Nora then picked up another box, her tone excited. "Let's see what Faye got me."

She unwrapped the box with painstaking care, as if afraid of damaging what was inside. The next moment, she suddenly screamed and shrank backward, the box falling onto the carpet with a loud thud.

From the box rolled out a small doll soaked in red liquid with its neck twisted, looking horrifying.

Nora was so scared that she started crying. She hid in Zachary's arms and whimpered, "Faye, I know you hate me... but you don't need to play such a cruel prank..."

Zachary wrapped his arms around her, gently patting her back. "Don't be scared. I'm here. No one can hurt you while I'm around."

Then, he glared at me, his voice harsh as he growled, "Faye! What the hell are you trying to do?"

"I-I didn't. I never..." I shook my head, feeling my throat tightening.

I knew Nora loved dolls the most, so I had specially asked someone to go to the human world to get one. I paid a high price for the Labubu she had always wanted. I even went into debt for it.

So, how had it ended up like this?

Nora looked up at Corey with teary eyes, her voice trembling. "Corey, does she want me dead? I'm scared..."

Then, she turned to Wesley and sobbed harder. "Wesley, I don't want to die..."

"Wait, no… I don't even know how—" Before I could finish speaking, a sharp slap landed across my face. The sound cracked through the room, leaving my ears ringing.