When It All Began...

Chapter 2: Secret Revealed

"Dad?!"

I uttered abruptly while stepping inside the kitchen. Both of my parents were frozen in place.

"A-Asuna? Umm... How was your first day...?" My mom asked as a way of diversion from the situation at hand.

"What is dad--?!"

I wasn't even able to contain my shocked face as I pointed towards dad with shaky hands. He had bright red eyes with long fangs protruding downwards. My mind was going haywire from failing to comprehend who this person was. 'He', who looked like dad, was standing firmly in place, in line with my extended finger.

"Honey, we can explain!" My mom cut my view as she came in between us.

"Yes. So... it really is time, huh......?" My dad muttered as he scratched his head.
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We all sat on a sofa in the living room. I knew all along that dad was hiding something from me especially when he used to go out secretly at night and when I would catch him, he never gave a reasonable answer. Rather, they always felt like excuses, a hasty camouflage for dad's secret.

"Well dear, you see--" Mom started explaining but stopped. It was enough of a signal to tell me that the topic was a delicate one.

Once my dad nodded, she continued, "You see, your father isn't actually a human. He is a... a vampire."

My eyes went wide at her briefing.

"What?! H-How-- And you never told me this sooner?!"

"We thought that you weren't ready to know the truth - that you were still too young to understand..." My dad rebuked in a low voice.

"You think 16 years isn't enough? You think I wouldn't be able to handle it...?" I whispered with a hint of disappointment.

There was a long, unsettling silence between us.

(Seriously? My dad is a vampire? How am I supposed to believe that?! This doesn't make sense! Nothing makes sense!!!)

I glanced at his bloody red eyes which were staring listlessly at the floor. There were already a lot of things on my mind today and now this?! I was starting to feel dizzy just by trying to grasp this twisted situation. I stood up on my slightly numb feet and straight away went to my room upstairs.

The last thing I heard was my dad muttering, "I told you she wasn't ready... Now she'll never be able to accept me as her father like this. Things were already complicated between us and now..."
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Once in my all too familiar room, I slowly perched on my chair, and the moment I did, everything that happened today came flooding back to me like a disturbing wave.

"Ughhh! Just forget about it Asuna!"

I smacked my temple a couple times in annoyance before slouching on my chair and resting my arms on the study desk. Having settled down a bit, I shifted my gaze towards my bedside table only to be met by the family photo.

(...He just looks plain human here...)

For a while, I just sat there staring at dad's face. He had a lonely smile on, and there I was - on his shoulders, laughing candidly. I've seen this picture a million times, but now my perspective on it took a new turn. I could discern he did feel miserable and guilty for lying my whole life, but only to be able to express it with a forlorn smile.