It was finally their 21st birthday.
That morning, Lilah received loads of presents from her family. Her father and two brothers made sure to fill her room to the brim, planning to make up for the past 20 years' birthday they had neglected and only cared for Dawn.
Even if Lilah couldn't see the gifts, she could feel the affection, the love, and the care.
It was to the point that she almost teared up once more. Today was the day she would die, and she had lost any hope of living, but they were still at it. They were still making her heart waver.
'What if... Just what if?' her fist trembled as she thought of the possibility that she could live past this day.
Live past her destined time.
The hope that would rip her apart later was brewing in her heart and she told herself she would not fall for it because as soon as the vampires showed up, her family would show their true colors and talk her into going with them.
As soon as they did, she would know once again that this was her fate and she could not fight it.
"Thank you," Lilah said as she wiped her eyes, smiling brightly at them. "Thank you very much. You make me really happy."
Until then, she would smile as much as she could and enjoy the little bit of attention, even if it was all fake and would be revealed later on.
'It feels so nice right now.' Lilah thought, her hands feeling the boxes crowded on her bed. 'If only we didn't have to hold that party. Would the vampires have the time to come over and propose if we stuck to a little family gathering like this?'
She paused. She was starting to entertain such thoughts. Thoughts that we're not part of the original.
She quickly shook her head.
'No, it won't work. The plot will always play out no matter what.'
It would be over before she knew it so she didn't have to think. She just had to live through it, and she would finally be free.
She clenched the sheets.
'It's less than 24 hours now. I... I will die soon, but I know no one will miss me, so I don't have regrets.' She thought. 'I only wish I had been reborn in a different situation and then I wouldn't have to live like this and die so fast.'
Then, the question hit Lilah,
'Do you want to live?'
It was a question she tried not to think about for so long. That question.
'No, I don't want to. I want it to end.' that was the answer she gave but there was no fooling the heart.
She would come to terms soon enough and would no longer be able to lie to herself.
Lilah sat alone in a chair that was close to the wine table.
She didn't know she was close to the wine table because one of the maids had led her there.
Her stick rested against her leg so it would be easy to grab if she wanted to stand.
The party was vibrant and the lights were bright.
'There's a lot of people.' Despite her blindness, she sensed the intentions of those around her – the mocking glances, the snickers.
Every single one of them. It was her first time being at a party with so many people. It made her nervous so she sat right while Dawn flaunted around the guests.
Dawn, who was dressed in a splendid and glimmering white dress, smiled sweetly as the guests complimented her outfit.
"You're such an angel, Dawn. You look so beautiful in this dress." One of them said.
"Oh my, thank you. It's so pretty, isn't it?" She twirled a bit, giggling and they clapped in cheer of her brilliance.
Most of the guests were people who were close to Dawn and had made connections with her.
And these people were yet to know the shift of attention in this family, so they thought they were going to make good connections with her brothers if they got on her good side and bad-mouthed Lilah.
"Unlike someone who looks like they're attending their own funeral." They said and their eyes shifted to Lilah at the corner.
"Thank you. I wanted something elegant, and that famous dressmaker outdid himself," she said, her voice dripping with innocence. But her eyes sparkled with a certain malice as she looked towards Lilah. "It's too bad my sister couldn't wear the same. There was an 'accident', you see. So she couldn't get her measurements from him."
Lilah did not respond. In this vibrant party where everyone was wearing a light-colored outfit, she was the only one wearing black like a crow.
The reason she was wearing this black dress instead of the white dress that had been prepared for her by her brothers was because someone had ripped the dress she was supposed to wear for the party.
That someone had to be Dawn but there was no evidence.
It was only a day before the party, so there was no way to get a new dress, and Dawn just happened to have a dress for her. But it was as black as night with glimmering stones.
Much like the opposite of Dawn's.
"Even if, she probably put that on just to look eye-catching." One of the guests sneered.
"Of course, it would catch everyone's eyes except hers." The guest next to Dawn said and they all laughed.
They snickered, their laughter laced with cruelty. They sneered.
Dawn was loving every moment of it and she wished she could openly snicker with the guests as they scorned Lilah, but she had to at least put on an act to the end.
Be the gentle flower they all believed she was.