2

I fought to open my eyes as one last spark of hope flared inside me.

Dad loved me the most. He would notice something was wrong.

I dragged myself toward the door on my elbows. Books teetered on the toppled shelf and crashed down around me.

The corners of the heavy hardcovers struck my body.

But I couldn't feel the pain anymore.

"Grace! What happened? Open the door!"

Sure enough, my father heard the commotion and tried to come in.

Then I heard Alice's excited voice.

"Daddy, you're back! I missed you so much!"

My father frowned slightly and instinctively stepped back.

He wanted to get away from the younger daughter he hadn't been close to in years.

"Alice got into the Imperial Academy. She wanted to share the good news with you."

My mother glanced at my father, her eyes rimmed red.

"Craig, we owe Alice so much.

"She got into the Imperial Academy all on her own, and we can't even remember watching her grow up..."

My father fell silent. He looked at Alice, his face heavy with guilt.

"Good girl. What do you want as a reward? I'll get it for you."

Alice shook her head.

"I don't need a reward, Daddy. Having you and Mom safe and healthy is all I've ever wanted."

My father gathered both my mother and Alice into his arms, deeply moved.

The three of them talked for a while before my father finally thought of me.

"Where's Grace? Why hasn't she come out? She's always the first one at the door when I get home."

My mother sighed.

"Grace is jealous that Alice got into the Imperial Academy. She locked herself in her room and is throwing a tantrum.

"I was calling for her earlier, but she wouldn't answer. Don't bother with her. Let her think about what she's done."

My father was quiet for a moment, but he still walked to my door and coaxed me gently.

"Grace, it's Dad. Come on, sweetheart. Will you open the door for me?

"It's okay, Grace. It doesn't matter if you don't get into a top academy. I'll always love you.

"Come out. I brought back your favorite berries."

Whenever the silver poison hurt, I craved something sweet, especially berries.

Every time my father came home, he brought berries for me.

But I had no strength left to answer him.

Alice tugged hesitantly at my father's sleeve.

"Daddy, about Grace today... I wasn't going to say anything."

"What?"

Alice hesitated, then spoke.

"She told me today that every resource in this family should be spent on her, and she won't let me use a single thing of hers.

"But Mom lent me the moonstone anyway, and I think that's probably why she's upset..."

My mother was truly angry now. She pounded on my door.

"Grace! You've gone too far! Bullying Alice wasn't enough, and now you won't even speak to the father who loves you most!

"Fine, Grace, go ahead and throw your little fit. You can die in there for all I care!"

Hearing my mother's disappointment, I felt my heart break.

I wanted to explain, but I truly had no strength left.

"That's enough. Grace is still just a kid!"

My father quickly held my mother back.

"Let her calm down for now. We'll come back and talk to her later."

The footsteps faded.

The last light in my eyes dimmed, bit by bit.

In the end, everything went dark.

When I opened my eyes again, my whole body felt light. Impossibly light.

The silver poison that had tortured me for ten years was gone. Every trace of it, gone!

I rushed toward the living room, overjoyed.

"Dad, Mom! It doesn't hurt anymore! I'm better!"

But I stumbled right through.

I passed straight through my mother's body. Straight through her.

I stood frozen in place.

My mother was sitting on the couch, sobbing.

"Why would Grace do this? I gave her every bit of my love for ten years."

I didn't know what to do. I wanted to hug her, but I couldn't.

My mother's crying stopped abruptly, and she looked at my father with sudden alarm.

"Craig, you don't think something actually happened to Grace, do you? She's never ignored us for this long."

My father stood up too, uneasy.

Just then, I saw Alice sneak over to the registration portal's power crystal.

She swapped the dull crystal for the charged one.

"Grace, don't blame me. You've already had more than enough of our parents' love."

I stared at the scene in shock.

So it was Alice who had swapped in the dead power crystal, deliberately manufacturing that crisis.

Then Alice walked to my bedroom door.

She suddenly raised her hand and slapped herself across the face. Hard.

My parents came running at the sound and found only Alice, crumpled on the floor.

She covered her cheek and shrank from their gaze, tears streaming down her face.

"Grace didn't hit me... it's... I just tripped, that's all..."