Morning light filtered gently into the Amadeus household, touching the old wooden floors and the quiet corridors of the ancestral home in Twilight Trails. The house was already awake—too awake—for a girl who was still lingering in her room, tying the final ribbon of her school uniform.
From the hallway came a familiar voice, firm yet laced with concern.
"Hey, sweetie," Daisy's father called out, glancing at the clock. "You're getting late for school."
Daisy hurried, her movements clumsy with nervous excitement.
"I'm sorry, Dad," she replied quickly. A moment later, softer, more earnest—"I'm really sorry."
She adjusted her school dress carefully, smoothing the fabric as though the act itself might calm her racing heart. Her uniform was neat, her bag slung over her shoulder, her expression bright but uncertain—like someone stepping into a future she could not yet read.
"I'm ready, Dad," she finally announced.
Before her father could respond, her third uncle appeared near the doorway, holding a stack of books in his arms. His voice was gentle but habitual—shaped by years of watching Daisy forget small but important things.
"Before going to school," he said, "pack your bag carefully. You always forget your necessary items."
Daisy nodded quickly.
"Umm… okay, third uncle. I won't make those mistakes again."
The tension of the morning softened when the scent of food drifted from the kitchen. Daisy's first aunt stepped out, wiping her hands on her apron, her face warm with affection.
"I cooked your favorite meal today," she said.
Daisy's eyes lit up instantly.
"Really? Is it the special spicy noodles?"
"Yes, dear," her aunt smiled.
"That means it will be so tasty," Daisy said happily, already hurrying to the dining table.
She sat down, delicate and eager, and began eating. Each bite brought a small smile to her face.
"Yummy," she murmured. "It's so tasty."
She looked up at her aunt with genuine admiration.
"You are the best chef in the whole Twilight Trails city, First Aunty."
Her aunt waved the praise away shyly.
"Oh, dear… don't praise me so much."
The warmth of the moment was broken when Daisy's marital uncle entered the room, holding something behind his back.
"Daisy," he said, smiling, "I bought those tickets for you."
Her chair scraped back slightly as she stood up in excitement.
"Really, Uncle? You are the best!"
Her father turned sharply.
"What tickets?" he asked.
"They're puppet show tickets," the uncle explained. "She's been asking for them for so long."
The air changed instantly.
"How dare you bring those tickets for my daughter?" Daisy's father snapped, his voice rising. "Have you forgotten how delicious her blood is?"
The room fell silent.
"The vampires would go crazy just to drink her blood," he continued, anger trembling beneath every word.
The uncle lowered his head, guilt written plainly across his face.
Daisy rushed forward, panic in her eyes.
"Dad, please don't scold Uncle James," she pleaded. "I just pestered him for the tickets. I made him bring them. It's not his fault."
"When will you be matured?" her father demanded angrily.
Daisy's excitement collapsed into sadness.
"I just wanted to go there…" she whispered, her voice breaking.
"You can't go there," her father said firmly.
"I'll look at them from a long distance," she promised desperately. "I promise."
Her father's response was cold, final.
"You can go there only if I am dead."
Shock rippled through the room.
Daisy froze. Her aunt froze. The others froze.
"Father…" Daisy whispered.
Tears spilled freely down her cheeks as she broke into sobs.
Her uncle stepped forward at once.
"Brother-in-law, just let her go once," he urged. "You've kept her caged for so long. You know how curious she is about vampires. Just let her see them once."
"Never," Daisy's father replied.
Her first aunt moved closer, her voice gentle but firm.
"Brother Abraham," she said softly, "please be gentle with your dear daughter. Don't be so rough with our angel."
"But it's for her own good," he insisted.
Daisy's sobbing only grew louder.
"Don't cry, dear," her third aunt whispered, pulling her close.
Yet even as arms wrapped around Daisy to comfort her, the unspoken truth hung heavy in the room—
This was not a simple family argument.
It was fear.
Fear sharpened by blood, by history, by monsters that waited beyond the borders of Twilight Trails.
The room was still echoing with Daisy's sobs when—
Suddenly.
A voice cut through the tension.
"Daisy will go there."
The words were spoken quietly, yet they landed with the weight of a thunderclap.
Everyone turned at once, eyes widening in shock, searching for the source of that calm, unwavering declaration.
At the doorway stood Raphael.
Tall. Composed. Unmoving.
He had arrived without anyone noticing, standing there as though he had always belonged to that space—silent, watchful, and powerful. His presence alone changed the atmosphere of the room. The fear that had been boiling moments ago now froze into stunned silence.
"Daisy will go there," Raphael repeated, his voice steady.
"I will take her."
Daisy's tear-filled eyes lifted instinctively. Her heart skipped.
Isn't that Brother Raphael? she thought.
Confusion rippled through her mind. Raphael hated vampires—everyone knew that. His hatred for them was sharp, absolute, and unforgiving.
Then why…
why would he want to take her there?
Daisy's father finally spoke, his voice cautious now.
"But Raphael—"
Raphael stepped forward slightly.
"Father," he said calmly, "you don't have to worry at all."
"As long as I am with her," he continued, his gaze unwavering, "I will protect her with all my strength. I won't let a single scratch appear on her tender body."
Daisy watched in silence.
It was true—when it came to safety, her father trusted Raphael more than anyone else. Everyone in the family knew it. Raphael was strong. Stronger than any of them. Strong enough to protect not just Daisy, but their entire family from vicious vampires.
After a long pause, her father exhaled slowly.
"Okay, son," he said at last.
"I don't know why you want to take her," he admitted, "but I dare not interfere with your decision."
Daisy realized something then—her father listened to no one… except Raphael.
Her third aunt's voice broke the moment.
"You're getting late, dear."
"Yes, Third Aunty," Daisy replied softly.
Her father turned to her.
"Daisy, Raphael will take you to your school."
A strange thought crossed her mind.
It seems like he is my bodyguard from now on.