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Six months before I was supposed to receive my eternal transformation, my twin brothers Silas and Julian brought Elena home.

Silas took my calming serum and gave it to her. Julian roared at me: "Get lost! Stop being an eyesore!"

They even took that girl to the Caribbean coast-the place I'd been begging to visit for ten years.

Days later, when they returned to the castle, they discovered I had already undergone the Vampire King's transformation and applied for the century-long isolation research program.

I would never return to this family again.

That day, they searched the world for me like madmen.

……

The day I accepted the Vampire King's invitation happened to fall on the Blood Moon Festival-the sacred day when vampire families gather to celebrate.

The Vampire King walked me to the entrance of the underground laboratory, his tone uncharacteristically gentle: "Alice, in five days you'll undergo my transformation and begin a hundred years of isolation research. Go say a proper goodbye to your brothers."

Vampire territory always carried a bone-deep chill. I stood on a street corner for a long time before finally mustering the courage to call Julian.

Predictably, he'd already blocked me.

I sighed and tried Silas instead. Eighteen years as siblings-didn't I at least deserve a goodbye? No matter how bad things had gotten between us, we should share one last meal.

He hung up on me. Again and again.

I swallowed the bitterness rising in my throat and kept trying. After eighteen attempts, I finally got through.

The phone rang for an eternity before he deigned to pick up, as if answering were some grand act of charity.

Afraid he'd hang up, I spoke as fast as I could: "Today's the Blood Moon Festival. Could we? maybe come home and get together?"

Dead silence on the other end. I added carefully, "I made everyone's favorite cranberry mousse cake by hand, and I prepared French pastries for Elena-the ones she likes."

Elena was the girl they'd taken in.

Julian's voice cut in, cold and impatient: "Thanks to you, Elena's injuries from being pushed down the stairs still haven't healed. We're all at the hospital with her. How dare you bring up celebrating?"

I pretended not to hear the disgust in his voice. "Then how about I bring the desserts to the hospital? We can keep her company and celebrate in her room-would that work?"

I had never humbled myself like this before. Ever since Elena appeared, we'd been fighting nonstop for six months straight. Even during our worst arguments, I'd never stooped this low.

But this was different. Once I left, it would be a hundred years. Who knew if we'd ever see each other again?

Julian said nothing.

A few seconds later, Elena's sickly sweet voice came through: "I want strawberry tarts."

"I'll bring them right over," I said immediately.

After hanging up, I made a detour to pick up the gifts I'd pre-ordered, then finished the pastries by hand in the kitchen. I'd taken every job I could get over the years and saved a hundred and fifty thousand dollars. Now I was spending it all.

For Silas, I'd bought a premium blood jade that accelerated wound healing. For Julian, I'd tracked down a rare ancient vampire spellbook.

And lastly, the box of strawberry tarts. I'd strained the cream three times to make sure the texture was perfect.

When I arrived at the hospital, there was only a small table in the room.

Julian glanced up at me. Before he could say anything, I grabbed a small chair and tucked myself into the far corner by the floor-to-ceiling window, then set out the desserts.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him stiffen for a moment, seemingly caught off guard by how small I'd made myself. But it lasted only a few seconds. He turned back and gently cut a piece of strawberry tart to feed Elena.

Silas placed a cushion behind Elena's back, terrified she might be uncomfortable.

Elena had barely taken one bite when her face changed.

"Cough-cough cough!" She suddenly clutched her throat and shrieked, "There's-there's a nutty taste! I'm allergic!"

Her pale face flushed an alarming crimson, and her breathing turned rapid and shallow.

With a sharp crack, Silas swept his hand out in fury and knocked the entire box of pastries to the floor. The ceramic plate shattered, splattering cream and fruit everywhere.

I shot to my feet, my mind reeling. "That's impossible! I made everything myself-there are absolutely no nuts in there!"

Frantic, I dropped to the floor to sift through the broken pieces, desperate to prove my innocence. "Look-strawberries, cranberries, there's nothing-"

In my panic to clear my name, my palm pressed straight down on a jagged shard of porcelain. It sliced deep into my hand, and blood poured out instantly, staining the white cream on the floor red.

"You're still lying!" Silas roared. He unleashed a wave of vampiric pressure that sent me stumbling backward. "Did you try to kill her on purpose? You knew her nut allergy could be fatal!"

My hand shook with pain, blood dripping from my fingertips. "I didn't? I really didn't put any-"

"Enough!" Julian shoved an antihistamine at Elena with one hand while glaring at me with ice-cold eyes. "Your sister nearly suffocated right in front of you, and you're still putting on an act? Get out of this room! I never want to see that vicious face of yours again!"

That accusation cut deeper than any wound on my hand.

I stopped arguing. I just stared silently at the wreckage on the floor, clenching my jaw against the searing pain as I hid my bloodied hand from sight.