Chapter 1

The champagne cork popped open downstairs with a "pop," and cheers nearly lifted the roof off.

That was Matt's moment of glory, while I, Alex, was like a piece of junk wrapped in plastic wrap, struggling to breathe in a dark room on the second floor.

A terminal illness tormented me for five long years, and the long period of care had long since exhausted my parents' patience. In their eyes, I was not only a vampire who ruined myself, but also a vampire who destroyed the normal life of the entire family.

But today is different. Matt even took a year off from school for me, and now he has finally been accepted into a top university.

As I listened to the deafening music downstairs, that familiar throbbing pain in my chest returned, as if a barbed hand was gripping my heart tightly.

I want to go downstairs.

It wasn't just to ask for help, but also to say "congratulations" to Matt in person.

Every breath was accompanied by the excruciating pain of shards of glass cutting into my lungs. I clung desperately to the wall, dragging my heavy legs, and slowly made my way to the stairwell.

The living room was ablaze with lights, balloons and ribbons creating a sea of ecstasy. My mother, beaming in her expensive burgundy velvet gown, was pouring champagne for the neighbors. My father, with his arm around Matt's shoulder, was praising him to everyone he met. It was a vibrant atmosphere I hadn't seen in this house in five years.

The enticing aroma of fireworks made me take a step forward.

"Mom..." I gripped the stair railing tightly, cold sweat dripping from my forehead onto the walnut steps. "My chest feels tight... I feel a bit uncomfortable..."

My voice wasn't loud, but it sounded like I'd pressed some kind of deadly mute button.

The living room, which was extremely noisy just a moment ago, became deathly silent.

All eyes turned upwards. The mother's bright smile froze on her face, then twisted into uncontrollable rage with visible speed.

"Bang!" Mother slammed the champagne bottle down on the table, the amber liquid splashing and staining the expensive tablecloth.

"Your brother has finally achieved this day!" She pointed at my nose, her voice shrill and distorted, tearing away all pretense of civility in front of all our relatives and friends. "You insist on saying you're upset now? You just can't stand to see him doing well!"

The guests' gazes shifted subtly and rapidly. The sympathy vanished, replaced by blatant contempt and impatience.

"No, Mom, I really..." I opened my mouth, but the lack of oxygen made me feel like a dried-up fish, unable to even piece together a complete sentence.

The father strode out from the crowd with a cold face, his eyes showing not a trace of worry, but only extreme disgust at having his mood disrupted: "Alex, go back to your room immediately. Don't spoil everyone's fun."

This extreme physical weakness was completely transformed into a poor performance in the eyes of her parents in an attempt to win her favor.

This anger drove my mother to roughly push through the crowd. Her high heels thumped on the stairs, each step feeling like a blow to my nerves.

"Mom! It hurts!"

She rushed up the stairs and grabbed my arm tightly. Her long nails dug almost into my flesh. My already weak legs couldn't support me, and I staggered and fell to my knees.

But she didn't stop, and just dragged me half-dragged half-pulled me toward the dark bedroom deep in the corridor.

"Why can't you behave for just one day? Just one day!" she roared hysterically, shoving me into the room like a bag of stinking garbage.

I fell heavily onto the cold floor, feeling as if my internal organs were about to shift.

Immediately following was a deafening slam of the door.

"Click".

The metallic click of the key turning echoed clearly in the corridor. From the outside, she had completely locked me in.

"You might as well just die already! And spare my whole family!"

Her vicious curses, uttered through gritted teeth, echoed from outside the door, accompanied by the fading sound of her high heels, mercilessly sentencing me to death.

The air in my chest is being sucked out bit by bit.

The excruciating cramps made me curl up like a shrimp. I stared intently at the bedside table—where the white medicine bottle that could save my life was placed.

The distance was less than half a meter.

Yet it seemed as if a chasm of life and death separated them.

With the last of my strength, I dug my fingers into the wooden floor, my nails splitting open and bleeding. I crawled forward desperately, my fingertips trembling wildly as I reached for the plastic bottle.

Just a little bit more. Just a tiny bit more.

But my body felt heavier and heavier, as if it were filled with molten lead.

"Let's drink to Matt's future!"

Downstairs, deafening clinking of glasses and jubilant laughter erupted once more. This wave of joyous sound pierced through the thin floorboards, mercilessly mocking my current pathetic state and desperate struggle.

My vision began to blur, and the world before me was swallowed up by large patches of black.

The hand that had been stretched out in mid-air finally fell limply and slammed heavily onto the floor.

In the last second before I was plunged into complete darkness, the last thing that flashed through my mind was my mother's radiant smile downstairs.

Great, since I'm a sinner who ruined everyone's lives.

Now... you can finally keep laughing like this forever.

Amidst the noisy party sounds, I closed my dry eyes and slowly stopped breathing.