Many years later, far away from the vampire kingdom, there was a beautiful place surrounded by endless tea gardens. In the middle of the green fields ran a narrow road that stretched through the hills.
The place was peaceful and quiet. There were no houses nearby.
Only one small but beautiful house stood there, hidden among the tea trees. The air was often filled with fog, and during the rainy season a gentle mist covered the hills.
In that quiet house lived Tsering with his younger brother.
The baby he had once carried through the snowy night had grown up.
Tsering had named him Tenzin.
Tenzin had always wanted to meet other people and make friends. But Tsering never allowed him to go to school or anywhere outside.
Instead, Tsering taught him everything at home.
There were no neighbors living nearby, so Tenzin never had the chance to meet other children.
Sometimes a few men and women came to work in the tea gardens, but Tsering never allowed Tenzin to go near them or talk to them.
Tenzin was much faster and stronger than most wolves and vampires. Because of this, he could not move like a normal human. His speed was unnatural.
That was why Tsering never allowed him to get close to humans.
Instead, Tsering spent years teaching him how to behave like a human — how to walk normally, how to control his strength, and how to hide his true nature.
Tenzin took a long time to learn.
But there were things about him that were different from other vampires.
He could eat human food.
And he could walk under the sunlight.
Tenzin often walked along the quiet road that ran through the tea gardens. Endless rows of green tea plants stretched across the hills, making the place feel calm and peaceful.
One day, while he was walking, he noticed something unusual.
A pink bicycle was parked beside the road.
Curious, he walked closer.
Suddenly, he smelled a soft and beautiful perfume drifting through the air. The scent seemed to come from somewhere nearby.
Tenzin followed it.
The fragrance led him deeper into the tea garden until he reached a large green tree standing alone in the middle of the fields.
The weather was foggy that day. Dark clouds covered the sky, and distant thunder rumbled softly above. Cold wind moved through the tea plants, making them whisper in the breeze.
It looked like someone was sitting behind the tree.
Tenzin quietly walked closer.
There, he saw a girl sitting on the ground, painting the beautiful scenery around her.
Suddenly the girl turned around.
She saw Tenzin.
The girl was wearing glasses, but even behind them Tenzin could see that her eyes were filled with tears. A few drops slowly rolled down her cheeks.
For a moment, they simply looked at each other.
Then the girl quickly packed her painting things, stood up, and walked away.
At the same time, light raindrops began falling from the sky.
She picked up her pink bicycle and rode away along the tea garden road.
Tenzin stood there quietly in the rain, watching her disappear into the mist.
Tenzin was a little shocked by the girl's behavior.
For a moment, he had thought he might finally make a friend.
But it seemed it was not that easy.
By then, the rain had started falling heavily.
Tenzin walked back toward the small house.
When he entered, Tsering was sitting on the sofa watching TV.
"Where have you been?" Tsering asked without looking away from the screen.
"Just walking outside," Tenzin replied.
"Dinner is ready," Tsering said.
"Okay. I'll be there in a minute."
Tenzin went to his room, changed his wet clothes, and then came back for dinner.
The two brothers sat together and ate while talking casually.
After dinner, Tenzin went to his room and lay down on his bed.
But sleep did not come easily.
He kept thinking about the girl.
Why was she crying?
Would she come back to that place again?
Her painting had been beautiful… but she had seemed a little rude.
Meanwhile, Tsering sat quietly in the living room, lost in his own thoughts.
He wondered what had happened to their mother, Queen Chorten, and King Lobsang.
Were they still alive?
Many times he had wanted to return to the vampire kingdom to find out the truth.
But he couldn't.
His mother had told him never to return.
And there was another reason.
Tenzin.
He had been too young back then to understand the danger. Tsering could neither leave him alone nor take him into the vampire world.
But deep in his heart, Tsering had made a promise to himself.
One day… he would return.
And he would discover the truth about what had happened to their mother and King Lobsang.
The next day, Tenzin returned to the same place at the same time.
As he walked along the road through the tea gardens, he suddenly noticed the same pink bicycle parked beside the road.
Seeing the bicycle made him both happy and nervous.
Slowly, he walked closer.
Just as he expected, the same girl was sitting beneath the large tree, painting the scenery around her.
Suddenly, the girl noticed him.
Tenzin hesitated before speaking.
"Hi… my name is Tenzin," he said nervously. "Sorry if I disturbed you yesterday."
The girl looked at him for a moment and gave a small smile.
"It's okay," she said. "And I'm sorry for my behavior yesterday."
Tenzin felt relieved.
"Are you a painter?" he asked curiously.
The girl shook her head.
"No," she replied softly. "But I love painting."
Then she looked toward the road.
"Do you live in the house nearby?"
"Yes," Tenzin answered.
"By the way… what's your name?" Tenzin asked.
"My name is Anwesha," the girl replied. "I live down there with my parents."
Tenzin hesitated before asking quietly,
"Why were you crying that day?"
As soon as he asked, Anwesha's expression changed.
Her face became sad, and she lowered her head, staring at the ground as if trying to hide her tears.
Seeing this, Tenzin gently held her hand.
"If you don't want to say it, that's okay," he said softly. "I… I'm sorry for asking such a stupid question."
Suddenly Anwesha looked up in surprise.
"Oh my God!" she said.
She stared at his hands.
"Your hands are so cold… like a dead person's!"
She quickly took a pair of gloves from her bag and handed them to him.
"Here, wear my gloves. They will keep you warm."
Anwesha thought his hands were cold because of the chilly weather.
After a moment, she began packing her painting tools.
"I have to leave now," she said.
Then she smiled slightly.
"I'll meet you tomorrow."
As she lifted her bag, Tenzin asked quickly,
"Will you teach me how to paint?"
Anwesha nodded.
"Okay. We'll meet here tomorrow at the same time."
She climbed onto her bicycle and rode away through the tea gardens.
Tenzin stood there watching her disappear into the mist.
Today, he felt something new.
He had finally found a friend.