Shyla had packed almost everything. Now she was packing her books when she heard her mother calling her for snacks.
"Sweethearts, come downstairs! I made cookies for us."
Both girls went to the living room.
"Mom, the cookies look delicious," they both complimented their mother and began eating. They weren't just looking delicious—they tasted delicious too. After finishing, both went back to their respective rooms.
When Shyla entered her room, she looked at the stack of books and felt confused. She couldn't believe she had read all of them. After placing them in boxes, she realized she had already filled two big boxes with only books.
"Oh my lord! Am I a bookworm? So many books!" she thought to herself.
Six books were still left. Among them was a brown-covered one she remembered taking from her dad's study when he was reading it.
"Oh, dad's book… looks interesting."
She picked it up and started reading. The title made her stop.
"The Secrets of Vampire World." She read it aloud. "What the hell? Why was dad reading this? Do vampires really exist? What secrets?"
Her mind spun with questions, but she couldn't ask anyone. It was related to her father.
As she was still processing these thoughts, she heard footsteps coming closer. Quickly, she stuffed the book into her backpack so she could read it later. The door opened, and her mother walked in.
"Shyla, I know you're still mad at me, but sometimes we have to do things we don't want to. And those things can turn out good for us, dear," her mother said.
Shyla wanted to tell her she wasn't mad, but deep down she felt her mother had forgotten her father and all the memories with him. Thinking about it only frustrated her.
"Mom, no… I'm not mad. But I just can't trust anyone—I don't know why," she finally said.
Lily looked worried. "Sweetie, I know it's not easy. But we have to move on. Your father is gone. We have to learn to live without him, dear. Try to understand."
Lily hugged her. Shyla hugged back tightly, unable to control the tears rolling down her cheeks.
"Mom, why did Dad leave us alone? I want to be with him. I miss him so much," she cried in her mother's arms.
Lily's heart hurt. She didn't know what to say to ease her daughter's pain. "Shyla, we're going to New York. I hope you'll move on there—forget the past and think about your present and future. A new life, dear."
She wiped Shyla's tears, patted her head, and left the room to give her space. Lily was deeply worried. She knew Shyla was still attached to her father and unable to move forward. She prayed her daughter would heal in New York.
Shyla knew her mother's concern, but she felt helpless. How could she forget her father in just one second? She only hoped things might get better after the move.
By the time everything was nearly packed, it was past 8 p.m. Shyla felt exhausted. Dinner time. She wondered what her mother had cooked. Then suddenly, she remembered the book she had hidden in her bag—her father's book.
She pulled it out and started reading again. It was all about vampires—their features, their world. She turned to the third page.
It described their appearance: "They may have crystal blue, blue, green, or even black-colored corneas."
"Oh, how interesting! Crystal blue eyes… cute! Blue eyes, oh God, I'd like to meet a vampire with such cute blue eyes," she thought to herself. Then she suddenly froze.
"Wait… didn't Dad have blue eyes?" she said out loud, shocked by the discovery.
After a pause, she shook her head. "Many humans have blue eyes. That doesn't mean I should categorize them as vampires. This is insane, Shy. What are you even thinking? Shut up and read."
She continued. The next page was about their capabilities.
"Interesting… what are they capable of?" she muttered.
She read on, fascinated.
"Oh my… they can read minds?" She raised her brow. "Wow, interesting—but it's not fun to read someone's mind. I'd find it tiring."
Then she suddenly froze again.
"Wait, wait… what the… They can read minds? How is that even possible?"
She was still processing these thoughts when she heard footsteps approaching her room. Quickly, she shoved the book under her bedsheet and pretended to arrange things, acting like she was still packing.
The door creaked open.
She was startled to see John standing there.