Chapter 1

When I was eight, a prank by my little sister, Alice, left silver poison eating away at my heart.

To save me, my dad knelt at the Temple of the Moon Goddess for ninety-nine days.

Only then did he win two moonstone pendants from the Goddess, enough to hold the poison at bay.

After that, Alice became the family pariah.

They stopped speaking to her. They wouldn't even let her smile.

For my sake, my father traveled far and wide searching for a cure for the silver poison.

My mom quit her work as a healer to care for me, because the moonstone pendants needed her at the Moon Temple every day to replenish their magic.

I always believed the Moon Goddess watched over me, blessing me with the best family in the world.

That belief lasted until the day registration for the Imperial Academy closed.

Three minutes remained before the Imperial Academy's registration portal closed.

Then a sudden thunderstorm drained the portal's power crystal.

Without hesitation, my mother ripped the pendant from around my neck and poured its magic into the portal.

I clutched at her clothes, my lips turning blue.

"Mom... I can't breathe..."

But she looked at me with nothing but disappointment.

"Grace, you've already taken all the love and resources that should have been Alice's. Now you want to rob her of her future too?

"You still have the backup pendant, and yet here you are playing the victim! I'm so disappointed in you!"

She shoved me into my bedroom and locked the door.

But she didn't know.

Alice had borrowed the other pendant for her graduation ball.

1

"Mom, don't be upset. Grace is just used to having all your attention on her."

Alice's voice drifted through the door.

"We spoiled her too much."

My mother's voice carried guilt toward Alice.

Beneath that guilt lay her disappointment in me.

"Alice, I'm sorry. Because of Grace's condition, we took our frustration out on you and ignored you.

"But you've turned out so wonderful, so mature. You even got into the Imperial Academy. I'm so proud of you.

"As for Grace, she needs to learn her lesson. She nearly ruined your registration out of sheer jealousy!"

No... that's not what happened...

The week before, Alice had asked to borrow the backup moonstone pendant for her graduation ball.

Because Alice had always been cold to me, I was thrilled that she'd come to me for something. I handed it over without a second thought.

She never returned it, but I didn't mind.

I still had one pendant, which was enough to keep the silver poison at bay.

I never imagined an emergency like this would happen...

I curled up on the floor, my nails clawing at the floorboards.

With the moonstone gone, the silver poison broke free and began spreading from my heart to my limbs.

"Mom... the pendant... give it back... please..."

I struggled with every last ounce of strength.

But the poison spread too fast. My voice had almost disappeared.

I grabbed onto the bookshelf beside me, trying to pull myself up to reach the door and call for help.

The next second, the heavy oak bookshelf came crashing down on top of me.

I felt something thick and sticky running down my head, but I was relieved.

Surely a crash that loud would make my mother come check on me.

Sure enough, I heard footsteps.

My mother sighed deeply outside the door, sounding exhausted.

"Grace! What are you doing in there?

"I only borrowed your moonstone for a moment. Don't you still have the backup?"

I opened my mouth desperately, trying to explain.

But the moment I opened it, all that came out was blood.

When I didn't answer for a long time, my mother assumed I was still sulking.

In the end, she relented.

"Fine. The registration went through already. If you want this pendant so badly, just take it."

I heard her key turn in the lock.

But the fallen bookshelf was braced against the oak door, and no matter how hard she pulled, it wouldn't budge.

"Grace, didn't you want the pendant? I'll give it to you! Open the door."

I couldn't speak. All I could do was tap the floor with my fingertips.

But the sound was too faint, swallowed up by my mother's repeated demands for me to open the door.

With no response from me, her patience finally ran out.

"Grace, what have I ever done to wrong you?

"This whole family has bent over backward for your illness, leaving Alice out in the cold for ten years! What more do you want? How can you be this selfish?

"Fine, be stubborn! You can stay in there for the rest of your life for all I care!"

Alice spoke up beside her, sounding deflated.

"Maybe Grace is jealous that I got into the Imperial Academy. Mom, if I could, I'd give up my spot for her."

No, that's not it!

I screamed from the depths of my soul, ‘Mom, my aptitude test score was the highest in the entire empire. A professor from the Imperial Academy already reached out to me. He said they'd give me the best medical treatment to completely purge the silver poison...I wanted to surprise you. I'm not jealous of my sister!’

But neither of them could hear the words in my heart.

My mother pulled Alice into her arms.

"Alice, this has nothing to do with you. Let her cool down on her own."

Alice paused for a moment, then lowered her voice even further.

"Actually... I've seen Grace take off the moonstone a few times and leave it on her vanity.

"There were even times when she slept without it, and she looked perfectly fine."

That's not true. I never once took the pendant off.

Alice, why are you lying to Mom?!

My mother froze.

"What did you say? Are you telling me Grace's silver poison is already cured?"

"I don't know. I only saw what I saw."

Alice was the picture of obedience.

"Mom, please don't tell her I told you. Grace will be mad at me."

My mother said nothing more. I heard their footsteps fade away.

The silver poison had spread completely. I could see that even the blood seeping from my wounds had turned black.

My eyelids grew heavier and heavier. Just when I thought I was about to die, my father's voice came from the doorway.

"Grace, I'm home!"

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..."

3

Alice hung her head, tears falling one by one onto the floor.

A vivid red handprint bloomed on her cheek, making her look sweet, obedient, and deeply wronged.

I was beside myself with fury. The look on Alice's face was clearly meant to suggest that I had come out and hit her!

I stood right there and shook my fist at her, furious!

Stop acting, Alice. Mom and Dad won't believe you!

But my mother rushed forward and gently touched Alice's cheek, her heart aching.

"You don't get a handprint from tripping. Alice, tell me the truth. What happened?"

Alice flinched back, then bit her lip and shook her head desperately.

"Mom, please don't ask... Grace didn't mean it... she was just in a bad mood..."

My mother's eyes turned red in an instant.

"And you're still defending her! She hit you this hard and you're still defending her!"

My father hesitated, though.

"Grace really hit you? Why would she suddenly do that?"

Alice trembled, then threw herself into my mother's arms.

"I... I just wanted to bring Grace something to eat and apologize to her.

"But Grace burst out and slapped me. She called me a filthy mongrel and accused me of taking the moonstone on purpose to kill her."

Alice sobbed so hard she could barely catch her breath.

"She said... she said you're the most useless wolves, that after ten years you still can't cure her silver poison. She said she hates you.

"She's the one who drained the portal's power crystal too. She wanted me to miss the registration deadline!

"I've already let her have all your love... Why is she doing this to me..."

I was shaking with rage, hovering right in front of my parents, screaming.

"I didn't! Alice is lying! I'm already dead! How could I have hit her!"

But my voice passed through the air and through every one of them.

No one could hear me.

My mother comforted Alice, her face livid with anger.

"Just now I was worried about her. I was afraid something had happened to her. And this is what she does? Coming out and hitting people!

"Grace, you seem to be doing just fine!"

My father's expression hardened. He kicked the bedroom door hard.

The bookshelf braced against the door shuddered and shifted slightly.

"Grace, it seems we really have spoiled you."

I floated in front of my father, frantically waving my arms and stamping my feet as tears streamed down my face.

"I didn't... I never said any of that... Dad, Mom, I've always loved you..."

But my father only closed his eyes for a moment, then gently wiped Alice's tears.

"Alice, don't cry.

"I brought berries back from the southern border. Let's go have some. Forget about your sister."

Alice sniffled, tears still clinging to her lashes, but the corners of her lips curved upward.

Obedient as could be, she linked one arm through my father's and took my mother's hand with the other.

"Dad, Mom, having you with me makes me so happy."

I drifted behind them into the living room.

On the table sat a plate of berries.

My father had brought them back just for me. I had been looking forward to them for so long.

Alice picked up a berry and offered it to my mother.

"Try one, Mom. They're so sweet."

My mother took it but didn't put it in her mouth for a long time.

No matter what she said about being done with me, her eyes kept drifting toward my bedroom door.

My father sighed and carried the plate of berries to my door.

"Grace, stop this. Come out and apologize to Alice, and we can go back to the way things were."

I wanted so badly to open that door and throw myself into his arms.

But I was dead. The dead can't answer.

My father waited one minute. Two minutes. Three minutes.

He finally sighed, straightened up, and turned to walk away.

My mother snapped. She stormed over and kicked the plate, sending berries scattering across the floor.

"If she won't eat, let her starve in there! She's not my only daughter!

"Craig, starting today, you are not to bring her anything. Not a single thing!"

My spirit wouldn't stop trembling.

Right... at least you still have Alice.

Maybe when you finally find out I'm dead, it won't hurt as much.

Just then, the communication crystal in the living room lit up.

It was Elias Morin, the grand elder of Blackrock Pack and its liaison with outside academies.

My mother quickly put on a pleasant face.

"Elder Morin, Alice's application has been submitted. Don't worry."

But Grand Elder Morin had a more urgent question.

"We can discuss Alice later... Where is Grace? Which academy did she end up choosing?"

4

My mother frowned, her tone dismissive.

"Grace? Her grades are nothing special. Any school would be the same for her."

Grand Elder Morin stroked his beard and nodded.

"True enough. I'm probably overthinking it.

"Everyone knows how devoted you two are to Grace. I'll go confirm the other children's registrations, then."

The communication crystal went dark.

I hovered in the air, staring blankly at my mother.

I knew she assumed that growing up weakened by silver poison meant I couldn't amount to much.

But fighting the silver poison day and night had also strengthened my mind.

My aptitude test score was the highest in the entire empire.

I didn't let you and Dad down.

"Mom... why didn't you ask Elder Morin just one more question..."

My father sighed as well.

"All I ever wanted was for Grace to grow up safe and sound... I never expected we'd end up spoiling her.

"Grace turning out so ungrateful... that's on me."

I hovered beside them, tears falling silently, my heart aching.

Mom, Dad, I'm not ungrateful.

I really do love you.

Before bed, I watched my mother carry a plate of food to my bedroom door.

She set it down, stood there for a while, and then walked away.

I couldn't eat it anymore.

Early the next morning, Alice came to check my door first.

Seeing that the food was untouched, she let out a quiet breath of relief.

Then she noticed it.

She noticed a small, dried pool of blood beneath the door.

A flash of panic crossed Alice's eyes.

She turned and ran. When she came back, she was clutching a bottle of ink.

She crouched down, unscrewed the cap, and splashed the ink across the floor.

When my mother arrived, all she saw was the untouched food and ink spilled everywhere.

Her face darkened immediately.

"Grace!"

She pounded on the door.

"So now you're defying me! You won't be happy until you've driven me to my grave!"

The commotion brought my father running out.

He frowned at the ink, his voice weary.

"Grace, enough. You're going to make your mother sick."

Just then, there was a knock at the front door.

Grand Elder Morin came in beaming, trailed by several reporters from the empire.

"Craig! Great news! Incredible news! The Imperial Academy sent reporters here to interview your family!"

My mother's face lit up instantly.

"Alice, they must be here for you. Come here, quick!"

Grand Elder Morin waved his hand, still grinning.

"Actually, is Grace around? We're here for her.

"The Imperial Academy heard about Grace's battle with silver poison since childhood. For her to rank first in the empire on the aptitude test despite that is nothing short of a miracle!

"That's why they sent people to do a story on her!"

The smile froze on Alice's face.

My father blinked, then his face broke into wild joy.

"Grace... first on the aptitude test?

"Of course! I always knew my Grace could do it!"

The anger vanished completely from my mother's face. Her voice trembled with excitement.

"That girl. She didn't even tell us.

"Come in, come in. I'll get Grace right now."

Only Alice stood in front of everyone, her expression stiff and unnatural.

"Grace doesn't like meeting strangers. She's been in a terrible mood these past couple of days. She and Mom have been fighting."

My mother shot her a look.

"We're family. What's a little argument?"

The group headed toward my bedroom, and I panicked, throwing myself at the door, pressing my back flat against it with my arms spread wide.

"Mom, please! Don't open this door!

"Dad! Stop her... you can't come in right now!"

But they couldn't hear me.

The bookshelf behind the door was barely holding on. One push, and the door swung open.

"Grace, come out. Everyone's waiting for you!"

The next second, my mother went rigid.

Beneath the toppled bookshelf, I lay perfectly still.

The blood behind my head had long since dried.

The whole world went silent.

My mother screamed and threw herself over my cold body.

"Grace! My baby!"