When Dad entered the room, his presence alone cast a heavy shadow over me. This familiar chill still runs down my spine.

I didn't lift my head, keeping my gaze fixed downward. Despite that, I couldn't control my body from trembling.

Although I was the one to greet him first, I could tell he didn't even glance at me. It wasn't new for him to ignore my presence.

He transforms into a different person when he talks with others. A pleasant tone, an image of warmth—none of this is close to the truth.

Both Ethan and Jia left when Dad told them he wanted to talk to me.

“Tsk.”

After the door closed behind Ethan and Jia, Dad changed his behavior completely.

"They didn't come near my half age but acted so arrogantly.”

Without looking at him, I could tell he wasn't in a good mood. He came near me and stayed silent.

"If only this useless thing were a boy."

I clenched my teeth. I don't know why he hates me so much. He treated me like a princess when I was younger.

Yet, as I grew older, his demeanor continually changed, although Mom always said Dad had always been like that.

Her answer shows that she knows something, yet she never tells me anything.

As I was thinking about this, Dad spoke again.

"So, did you feel any changes?"

My body flinched when Dad asked me this question. It's a question he started to ask me since the day he beat me for pills.

I don't know what kind of changes he wants from me. However, every time my answer was, 

"No."

As the word left my lips, I almost fell from the bed.

He slapped me… again.

Whenever I say no, he always slaps me. Sometimes, it gets worse.

One time, I lied to him so that I could avoid those slaps.

But it was a mistake. When I couldn't give an answer to his next weird question, he beat me to death.

After that, I never said yes at all.

He yanked my hair and made me look at him.

"When are you going to be useful to me? I didn't marry your mother to give birth to a useless thing.”

I can't find any warmth in his eyes for me. When I first saw his cold eyes, I felt devastated.

Now, thousands of questions swirl within me whenever I see these eyes.

Why do you hate me?

I'm your daughter.

Crack…

Why can't you show me some affection? 

What do you want from me?

Crack…

Why are you smiling like a madman now?

Why are your eyes like that when you look at me?

…These eyes are the only thing I don't want to see. I want them to vanish forever.

Shatter…

{Do you want that?}

…. Can I do that?

{Yes, you can.}

But….

{Don't you hate these eyes?}

Yes.

{Then…… %#%#%#%#%#%}

I felt a sharp pain in my head as the voice turned into strange noises.

My vision started to blur, and I didn't hear any sounds from outside the room either.

Despite that, I could see my dad's smile getting bigger.

How many years have passed since I last saw his smile?

Instead of feeling happy, I wanted to tear down that smile.......

{Bia.}

In an instant, everything in front of me turned white. I couldn't see Dad's face anymore. Confusion gripped me as I realized this wasn't my hospital room.

The entire space was enveloped in a blinding white light, and a searing pain shot through my eyes. I winced and instinctively shut them tight.

After I rubbed my eyes and cautiously opened them again, a wave of shock washed over me as I saw my surroundings.

There was no light around me.

How could there be any light in here? This was a familiar place: my dream and the darkness that surrounded me like a shroud.

I might have fallen asleep once more.

I took a deep breath, exhaled slowly, and attempted to compose myself with a smile.

Despite my efforts, my eyes betrayed me. Tears welled up in my eyes.

I didn't want to cry. I looked at the shadows that surrounded me.

"Why are you guys not doing anything? Why aren't you torturing me?"

This way, I could say I was crying because of the torment rather than those hateful eyes.

Yet, I felt despair when tears streamed down my face.

Click-Clack...

At that moment, I heard some footsteps from behind. The shadows must have taken someone’s form and were approaching me.

I braced myself for whatever the shadows would do. Right now, their torture is better than anything.

I can forget about everything.

However, I felt a sudden embrace from behind. I became startled by these unfamiliar events; yet, it made me feel a sense of comfort.

I never had the courage to look back and see what was behind me.

Yet, this time I want to know. However, before I could turn and see whose form it had taken,

{Sleep, Bia. Then, you won't remember these painful memories.}

I heard a voice in my head. As soon as the voice fell silent, I started to feel drowsy.

Who is talking? 

There shouldn't be anyone other than me. 

And the shadowy figures never talk to me this way.

The voice chuckled faintly as if it read my mind. Then the shadowy figure leaned over my head.

{But you won't remember anything.}

Why do they sound sad?

My eyelids become heavy, and I couldn't keep them open anymore. A shadow gently covered my eyes.

When did these shadows become gentle?

{...Sleep well, Bia.}

As Bian's body became motionless, the shadowy figure tenderly turned her towards them, their blue eyes gazing down at her with unreadable emotions.

There is no comfortable place for Bian to rest peacefully. Yet, they carefully placed her head on their lap and patted her head.

Bian still has visible tear marks on her cheeks. The figure softly wiped away the tears, ensuring that Bian wouldn't wake up.

{I don't want you to remember anything. So forget everything, Bia.}

Soon after, the figure kissed Bian's forehead and looked ahead of them.

At that moment, all the shadows around them became aggressive, as if they were prepared to fight.

When the figure gazed at the shadows for a second, they calmed down and retreated.

But they remained alert and ready to engage in combat if the situation took a turn for the worse.

The figure continued to look ahead, their gaze shifting to another shadowy figure looming in the distance.

{Go back.}

The other shadowy figure didn't say anything. Without moving, they blended in with the shadows and vanished from sight, leaving Bian and the figure behind.

                             **********

Diego Garcia yanked Bian's hair with force once more. But in a split second, his smile was completely gone when she suddenly fainted.

He became angry and raised his hand to slap her. 

However, when he didn't see any movement from Bian, he let go of her hair. Bian fell onto the bed.

"This useless thing."

He clenched his fist and took a step to leave the room.

At that moment, he felt a sudden pressure on him. It sent a shiver down his spine.

It was an instinctive feeling of fear.

He immediately looked at Bian. However, she was still in the same position as he had left her, and the pressure was also gone.

He ignored it, thinking it was his imagination. He tried to take another step; however, he felt another pressure.

This time, his face turned as white as a ghost.

His legs gave way, and he collapsed to the ground.

His lips quivered, his eyes trembled, and even his breath became ragged.

He couldn't pinpoint the source of his every discomfort. He knew one thing.

 Fear. He was feeling fear.

Cold sweat tracked down his cheeks and chin, falling to the floor.

The pressure lasted only a few seconds; yet, to him, years passed away.

When he gained control over his body, he looked at Bian again. She was still on the bed, motionless.

Diego Garcia wiped his face and finally left the room.

Soon, after the door was closed, Bian opened her eyes.

She sat up and touched her face.

It was swollen.

Bian fixed her hair and looked at the reflection in the window. She couldn't see her face properly because the outside was still bright.

Yet, despite the brightness from outside, it couldn't overshadow the reflection of her golden eyes.