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00:00My mom called me a liar from the day I was born. Not because I actually lied, but because of
00:05this thing around my neck, the Verity choker.
00:07Mom was Luna of Silvermoon Pack, and she believed one thing above all. Lying was the mark of a weak
00:12wolf.
00:13We were her daughters, future alpha heirs. Weakness was not an option.
00:18So when my twin sister Emma and I were born, Mom clasped these chokers around our throats, which had witch
00:24magic to detect lies.
00:25Green light means truth. Red light means you were lying. Emma's choker? Always green.
00:30She could shred Mom's ceremonial cloak and blame the cat, and Jem would glow a steady green.
00:35Not me.
00:37Green light. Believed. Me?
00:40Mom, I'm hungry.
00:42Flash! Red light. The choker choked tight. I shifted on instinct.
00:46A small white wolf clawing desperately at the Jem around my neck, claws scraping against it, unable to get it
00:53off.
00:53I'm not lying. Not lying. Please.
00:59But Mom's eyes had already gone cold. Instant punishment. Mom's punishment wasn't gentle.
01:05No food, locked in my room, no contact with anyone in the pack.
01:09The truth necklace doesn't lie, Stella. Starve now, study later. I'm doing this for your own good.
01:15After 10 years of this, I started believing it too. Maybe I really was born wrong.
01:20New Year's Eve, everything changed. Mom was getting ready to take Emma to the pack's bonfire celebration.
01:26And that's when the pain hit, like a knife twisting in my gut. I collapsed on the floor, my skeletal
01:32frame curling into itself.
01:33The choker flashed red and choked tight. She looked down at me, disgusted in her eyes.
01:42In your dreams, Stella? Faking an illness to ruin our night?
01:46She grabbed Emma's hand and headed for the door. I wanted to howl, but my wolf was too weak to
01:52answer.
01:52I shifted anyway. Forced it. A small white wolf trembling on the floor, ribs heaving.
01:58Maybe in this form, the pain would hurt less. It didn't. I couldn't even hold the shift.
02:03I slipped back into myself without meaning to. Sorry, Mom. I won't lie anymore.
02:09But the pain got worse. Way worse. The door handle turned. For one second, I thought, Mom's coming back.
02:15She came back for me. Hurry up. The bonfire is starting. Emma's waiting.
02:20Mom?
02:21I reached out with a shaking hand.
02:23Please. Something's really wrong. I feel like I'm dying.
02:26She glanced at my neck. The gem was flashing red, over and over. She crouched down, grabbed my chin.
02:33Stella, how long are you going to keep this up? Can't you just be honest and stay here and think
02:39about what you've done?
02:40Dad appeared in the doorway.
02:43Honey, should we at least leave her some food?
02:47Food? She has a stash of snacks she bought with stolen money. She won't starve. Lock the door. When that
02:54gem turns green, we'll talk.
02:56But...
02:57But what?
02:59It's because you spoil her that she turned out this way.
03:02Look at Emma. Her gem has always been green.
03:06Stella is a liar. An alpha heiress who can't tell the truth. She needs discipline.
03:11But my cabinet was empty. Emma stole that money. Emma ate those snacks.
03:17Emma just stood there with her glowing green gem, saying,
03:20Not me.
03:21And Mom believed her. I tried to defend myself.
03:24It wasn't me!
03:26Red light. The choker choked tight.
03:28I tried to shift.
03:30Nothing happened.
03:31Deep inside, my wolf barely stirred.
03:34Mom locked me up for three days with nothing but water and stale bread.
03:38Mom turned to leave.
03:39Emma peeked through the door, made a face at me.
03:42Bye, sis. We're gonna see the bonfire.
03:45Her gem glowed a steady green.
03:47So pretty.
03:48The door locked.
03:49The house went silent.
03:51I called my wolf.
03:53Nothing came back.
03:54Not even a whisper.
03:56Just me alone.
03:58The pain was unbearable.
04:00But I kept thinking.
04:02Mom's right.
04:03The gem doesn't lie.
04:04It's red.
04:06So I must be lying.
04:07I'm not in pain.
04:09I'm not in pain.
04:11I'm not in pain.
04:13I kept repeating it like a prayer.
04:16Eventually, I almost believed it.
04:19The pain dulled.
04:20Or maybe I was just going numb.
04:23I crawled to my desk.
04:24I had to write.
04:26That was the rule.
04:27If the gem glowed red, I had to pen a thousand word apology.
04:31Or mom would never let me out.
04:34I am a liar.
04:36Write it down.
04:37And maybe mom would forgive me.
04:39Maybe she'd even let me out.
04:41I opened my journal.
04:43Pages and pages of apologies I'd written over the years.
04:46Sorry I lied.
04:48I won't do it again.
04:49But this time, I wanted to write the truth.
04:52My vision blurred.
04:54My hand shook as I wrote.
04:56Mom, I really love you.
04:59It really hurts.
05:01Why won't you believe me?
05:02Please believe me.
05:04Just once.
05:05The moment I finished the last word, the pain vanished.
05:09Just gone.
05:11I felt light.
05:12Weightless.
05:13I looked down.
05:14I was floating.
05:16And there, slumped over the desk, was my body.
05:20Motionless.
05:21The gem still flashing red around a dead girl's neck.
05:24Oh!
05:25I'm dead!
05:26And then, she came out.
05:29My wolf.
05:30Stepping out of my body like she'd been waiting all along.
05:33Small.
05:34Skinny.
05:35Skinny.
05:36Barely holding together.
05:37She looked up at me and, once, soft and low.
05:41In the pack's old stories, they say when a wolf dies young, her spirit doesn't cross
05:46over alone.
05:47Her wolf walks beside her, until they find the door together.
05:52I knelt down.
05:53She pressed her nose into my ghostly palm.
05:56Finally.
05:57We were together now.
05:58But, I never learned how to be honest.
06:01Sorry, Mom.
06:02I heard laughter.
06:03Mom.
06:04Dad.
06:04Emma.
06:05Coming through the front door.
06:07Tonight's bonfire was beautiful.
06:09The best one yet.
06:12Just like our Emma.
06:14Perfect in every way.
06:15I'd never heard her sound like that when she talked about me.
06:18I floated toward them, my wolf patting silently at my side.
06:22Moving on instinct, I wanted to help them take off their cloaks.
06:26That's what I always did.
06:27Mom!
06:28My arms passed right through her body.
06:31Like wind.
06:32Why is it so cold here?
06:34Is the hearthee out?
06:35I stood there, staring at my transparent hands.
06:38My wolf pressed against my leg and looked up at me with sad eyes.
06:42Right.
06:43Dead wolves couldn't hug the living.
06:45Shall we go and see Stella?
06:47She hasn't eaten yet.
06:48Still the good cop.
06:50I looked at Mom hopefully.
06:52If she found me dead, would she be sad?
06:54Would she regret it?
06:57She won't starve.
06:58She is a werewolf, not a human pup.
07:02This whole fake sick for attention thing is out of control.
07:05I laughed bitterly.
07:07Mom wasn't wrong.
07:08Werewolves heal.
07:09But I hadn't been able to in a long time.
07:12Last winter, the choker left bruises that stayed for days.
07:16That hadn't happened before.
07:17I reached for my wolf.
07:18She was still there, but the warmth never came.
07:22She was too hungry, just like me.
07:24Mom never noticed.
07:26She only ever looked at my neck for one thing.
07:29The gem.
07:29And whether it was red or green.
07:32Mom pushed open my door.
07:33Didn't even turn on the light.
07:35Just for a second, her eyes flashed gold.
07:38Her wolf might have known.
07:39Mom didn't listen.
07:41In the dim glow from the hallway, she saw me slumped over my desk.
07:45I looked like a skeleton.
07:46Hadn't moved.
07:48Still putting on an act?
07:50You're ten years old, not five.
07:53Grow up.
07:54Mom, I'm not playing.
07:55I'm dead.
07:57Look at me.
07:58Touch me.
07:59I'm freezing.
08:00She couldn't hear me.
08:01She only believed what she wanted to see.
08:04Emma squeezed past her, held up her choker with that smug little grin.
08:08Look, my gem is green.
08:10Stella's is still red.
08:12She's lying, even in her sleep.
08:14That's my good girl.
08:16Ignore the liar.
08:17Let her stay there.
08:18Maybe she'll learn how to be honest.
08:21Should we at least put her in bed?
08:23It's freezing.
08:25Put her in bed?
08:26Look at that red gem, still lying.
08:29Come on, leave her.
08:30We have to visit grandma tomorrow.
08:33The door locked again.
08:34I floated next to my corpse.
08:37My wolf curled silently at my feet, staring at that single point of red light in the darkness.
08:42Mom, if you'd just stepped closer, if you'd just touched my hand, you'd know I was ice cold.
08:48But you didn't.
08:49You believed the choker.
08:50Not the daughter you carried for nine months.
08:53That night, a rat crawled out of my empty cabinet.
08:56I used to scream whenever I saw rats.
08:58But now, I just floated by the ceiling, watching it scurry across my dead body.
09:03The rat bit into my toe.
09:05I didn't feel anything.
09:07My wolf charged at it anyway, and passed right through, landing on the other side.
09:12She turned back to look at me, confused, lost.
09:15I pulled her close and buried my face in the fur of her back.
09:19It's okay.
09:21You can't feel it anymore.
09:22It'll be over soon.
09:24She let out one low growl, then went still against me.
09:28Finally, no more pain.
09:30For either of us.
09:31The next morning, sunlight streamed through the window.
09:34No warmth reached my body.
09:36In the kitchen, I could hear Mom making breakfast.
09:40The smell of roasted meat crept under my door.
09:42My favorite.
09:44But Mom always said liars don't deserve meat.
09:46So I only ever got steamed vegetables.
09:48She was clanging the pots extra loud on purpose, trying to tempt me out, trying to make me give
09:54in and apologize for things I never did.
09:57In the old days, I might have caved.
10:00I might have confessed to anything for one bite of roasted meat.
10:03But I don't need food anymore.
10:05Stella still hasn't come out yet?
10:07Dad asked, reading the pack notices.
10:10She is so stubborn.
10:12She can eat or not.
10:13I don't care.
10:15Emma walked to my door and made a big show of sniffing the air.
10:20Then she screamed dramatically.
10:22Mom!
10:23Stella's room smells like poop!
10:26Did she poop in there?
10:27I floated by the door, watching my sister with a bitter smile.
10:31My wolf sat beside me, ears flat, eyes low.
10:36The hearth was burning hot.
10:38After just one night, my body started to rot.
10:41Mom stormed over, pounding on the door.
10:44Stella!
10:45Who does that?
10:47The toilet is right there!
10:48Did you shit on the floor to spite me?
10:51I remembered being six.
10:53I had food poisoning.
10:55Couldn't make it to the toilet in time.
10:57Mom didn't help me clean up.
10:59She made me stand outside, pointed at me, and told the neighbors.
11:02Look at this.
11:04She's such a mess.
11:05She can't even use the toilet herself.
11:08Now she thought I was dirty again.
11:09Leave her. Let her sit in her own stink.
11:13But Dad stood up, frowning.
11:15That smells really bad. I should check.
11:18Could it be a dead rat or something?
11:20My heart, if I still had one, leapt.
11:24Dad, please, open the door!
11:26I'm right here!
11:28Just turn the handle and you'll see I'm not moving!
11:31I waved my transparent arms frantically.
11:34My wolf ran straight to my bedroom door,
11:37willing Dad to open it.
11:39Dad's hand touched the door handle.
11:41His hand froze.
11:42Someone was pounding at the front door.
11:43A pack elder.
11:44Urgent business.
11:45Dad's face went pale.
11:46He grabbed his cloak.
11:48The border. There's an emergency.
11:50He was already out the door.
11:52I froze.
11:53So close.
11:54One second away.
11:55If that knock had come one second later,
11:57I would have been found.
11:58Maybe then, I wouldn't have rotted alone.
12:01That afternoon, Mom took Emma to the pack market.
12:03The house was empty except for my corpse.
12:06When they came back that evening,
12:07loaded down with food and gifts from the market,
12:09the smell had gotten worse.
12:11Mom gagged the second she walked in.
12:14Stella?
12:14Are you trying to turn this place into a den of inequity?
12:17She didn't even open my door.
12:19Just grabbed cloth strips and sealed the gap at the bottom.
12:22If you want to stay in there and make disgusting stew zoos,
12:24don't stink up my house.
12:26She patted her hands together, satisfied.
12:28Then went to prepare dinner.
12:30I stared at that sealed door.
12:31My wolf pressed her nose against it and whimpered once.
12:35So that's it.
12:35I'm worth less than a venison dinner.
12:37By day three, even the cloth strips couldn't contain the smell.
12:41Mom was arranging fresh wildflowers, trying to cover it up.
12:43But the stench of death is unmistakable.
12:46Sweet, rotten, oily.
12:48She cut a rose stem too hard.
12:50A thorn pierced her hand.
12:52She snapped.
12:53In her mind, I was doing this on purpose.
12:55Not bathing, poop on the floor,
12:57hiding dead rats in my room.
12:59All to piss her off.
13:00All to defy her authority as Luna.
13:03Stella!
13:04She grabbed a rolling pin from the kitchen,
13:06stormed toward my room.
13:07I'm done with you, you disgusting little brat!
13:10Time you learned what real pain feels like!
13:13I floated in front of her, waving my arms desperately.
13:16Don't come in, Mom!
13:18Please!
13:20Please!
13:21Even though she never loved me,
13:23I didn't want her to see me like that.
13:25But she walked right through me,
13:26ripped the cloth strips off,
13:28jammed the spare key into the lock.
13:30The door flew open.
13:31The smell hit her like a wall.
13:33She stumbled back, retching.
13:35Stella!
13:35What are you doing?!
13:37She saw me, still slumped over the desk,
13:39back turned, not moving.
13:41To her, this was the ultimate rebellion.
13:43I'm talking to you!
13:45She marched over,
13:46raised the rolling pin,
13:48but stopped.
13:49She wanted to see my face first.
13:51Wanted to see my...
13:52Get up!
13:53She grabbed the back of my shirt,
13:55grabbed my skin.
13:56The moment she touched me,
13:57she froze.
13:58Through the thin fabric,
13:59her hand didn't feel warm flesh.
14:01She felt cold, hard, dead meat.
14:04The kind of cold that seeps into your bones.
14:06What?
14:07But momentum carried her forward.
14:09She yanked.
14:10Crash.
14:10My body, stiff as a board,
14:12toppled backward,
14:13taking the chair with it.
14:15And there was my face.
14:16Blue-black, eyes bulging,
14:18features twisted in agony.
14:19Dried foam and blood crusted around my mouth.
14:22Around my blackened neck,
14:23the Verity choker hung lifeless.
14:26The gem dark.
14:27No red, no green,
14:29just silence.
14:30My journal slid off the desk,
14:32fell open at Mom's feet.
14:34The last page stared up at her.
14:35Mom, my stomach really hurts.
14:37The choker is wrong.
14:39I'm not lying.
14:40Please don't punish me.
14:41Mom screamed.
14:42Not a wolf's howl.
14:43A raw, guttural shriek
14:46that tore through her throat.
14:47She stumbled backward,
14:49slammed into the bookshelf.
14:51A clay pot shattered.
14:52But she didn't seem to feel the pain.
14:54She just stared at me,
14:57eyes wide, unblinking.
14:59No, no.
15:01This isn't real.
15:03Stella, get up.
15:04Stella, please, get up.
15:05I'm not angry anymore.
15:08Please don't scare me again.
15:10Her hand reached out,
15:11trembling, to touch my arm.
15:13The second her skin made contact with my corpse,
15:16she recoiled like she'd been burned.
15:18That cold was too real.
15:21Lisa from next door heard the screaming
15:23and went straight to the pack healer.
15:25When she saw what was in my room,
15:26she collapsed in the gate.
15:28Within the hour,
15:29heavy boots on the floorboards,
15:31the pack healer
15:32and a handful of pack warriors
15:34crowding the entrance.
15:35Mom sat on the floor,
15:37a warrior's hand on her shoulder.
15:39She's speaking it.
15:40She's always lying.
15:43It doesn't lie.
15:45I'm just teaching her.
15:46No one responded.
15:48They all looked at her
15:49like she was a monster.
15:50The pack healer crouched next to my body.
15:53He muttered under his breath.
15:54Severe malnutrition,
15:56organ failure.
15:58This puppy has been starved
15:59for at least a month.
16:00He carefully tried to remove
16:02the Verity choker,
16:03but it had fused.
16:05Years of tightening
16:06had pressed the leather
16:07deep into the skin of my neck.
16:09Damn it.
16:10He had to use tools to pry it off.
16:12Even dead,
16:13my soul flinched.
16:15My wolf lifted her head and
16:18long, raw, desperate.
16:21The kind of howl that should
16:22have shaken the walls.
16:24No one heard it.
16:25No one flinched.
16:26We were already dead.
16:28A warrior picked up my journal,
16:30started reading.
16:31His face went from neutral
16:32to horrified.
16:34Mom's eyes locked onto that book.
16:36That's her confession.
16:38She admits she lied.
16:39Look, she wrote it herself.
16:43The warrior pushed her back,
16:45wrapped the journal in cloth,
16:47and took it.
16:48We'll report it to the council.
16:50That's when Dad got home.
16:51He saw the pack healer
16:53and the pack warriors
16:54crowding the doorway,
16:55saw the body wrap
16:56being carried out,
16:58saw the long cord
16:59that sealed away
17:00my entire life.
17:02His legs gave out.
17:04He collapsed on the doorstep.
17:06Emma stood nearby,
17:07sobbing in confusion.
17:09She pointed at the discolored
17:11Verity choker on the table.
17:12Why does Stella have a black collar?
17:14And I have a green one.
17:16See?
17:17She held up her neck.
17:19The gem blinked its steady green.
17:21It was grotesque.
17:23The council elders arrived before dawn.
17:26Mom straightened when she saw them.
17:28Even now,
17:28even with my body
17:30three days cold and rotting,
17:32her Luna instincts kicked in.
17:34She lifted her chin,
17:35squared her shoulders.
17:37It didn't work today.
17:38They started questioning Mom
17:40in the living room.
17:41Mom grabbed the Verity choker
17:43off the table
17:43like it was a lifeline.
17:45Test it!
17:46That choker proved she was lying.
17:49Red gem means lie.
17:51I never abused her!
17:53The choker told me!
17:55I was just educating her!
17:58The council elders looked at her
17:59like she'd lost her mind.
18:01The pup shows signs of extreme malnutrition.
18:05Months of starvation.
18:08Afelian, multiple old injuries
18:10consistent with prolonged.
18:12That's dis-discipline!
18:14That's teaching her to be honest!
18:16Then, she did something insane.
18:19You don't believe me?
18:21Fine.
18:22I'll wear it.
18:25Watch.
18:26It'll be green.
18:27The leather pressed against her skin.
18:30Cold.
18:31Sticky.
18:31That was my blood.
18:33She took a deep breath.
18:34Tried to calm herself.
18:36She needed to prove she was innocent.
18:38Needed to prove her way of raising
18:40an alpha heir was right.
18:42She held up the gem,
18:43eyes wild.
18:45Listen.
18:45I'm Rachel.
18:47I'm Stella's mother.
18:48This is the truth.
18:50The absolute truth.
18:52The gem flashed red.
18:54Mom's confident expression shattered.
18:56No.
18:58What?
18:58I said truth!
19:00I am Rachel!
19:02I never abused her!
19:04I did it for her own good!
19:07I love her!
19:09And suddenly, she remembered.
19:12Me.
19:12Ten years old.
19:14Gasping as the choker tightened
19:16around my throat.
19:17Biting my lip so I wouldn't make a sound.
19:19Is this what it felt like?
19:22Why is it red?
19:23I am telling the truth!
19:25Turn green!
19:26You're broken!
19:27You're setting me up!
19:28But the gem kept flashing.
19:30Like it was mocking her.
19:32You're a liar.
19:33You're a liar.
19:34You're a liar.
19:36Enough!
19:37This is just a bloodstone.
19:40I've seen it before.
19:41It changes color with body heat.
19:44Fear.
19:44Pain.
19:45Anything that makes your heart race.
19:47Temperature rises.
19:49It burns red.
19:50That's all it does.
19:52No witch magic.
19:54Never was.
19:55Think about your daughter.
19:57Ruptured appendix.
19:58Organ failure.
20:00The pain must have been unbearable.
20:02She was terrified.
20:04And what did you see?
20:05A red gem.
20:07So you punished her more.
20:09Which made her more scared.
20:11Which made her temperature rise.
20:14Which made the stone turn redder.
20:18You are Luna.
20:20You are supposed to protect every wolf in this pack.
20:24You couldn't even protect your own daughter.
20:26You ignored her cries for help.
20:29You starved your daughter to death.
20:32Mom's world collapsed.
20:33She sat there.
20:34Staring at the flashing gem on her own neck.
20:37And finally understood.
20:39For ten years.
20:40Every red light wasn't because I was lying.
20:43It was because I was scared.
20:46Scared of her anger.
20:47Scared of being misunderstood.
20:50Scared of eating food that made me sick.
20:52I was in pain.
20:54Pain that made my heart race and cold sweat pour down my face.
20:58I was desperate.
20:59Desperate for a hug.
21:01For her to hold me the way she held Emma.
21:04Every signal from my frightened heart she had interpreted as proof of my lies.
21:10No!
21:10Get it off!
21:14I'm not lying!
21:16I'm not!
21:17She tried to shift.
21:18Fur rippling across her skin.
21:20Bones cracking.
21:21But the leather cinched harder around her throat the moment her neck began to change.
21:26She snapped back into human form.
21:29Gasping.
21:30I can't get it off!
21:32Stella, take it back!
21:34I'm sorry!
21:35It's all my fault!
21:36This little bit of choking and she was already breaking.
21:41Mom, I suffered for 10 years.
21:44The council elders needed evidence for judgment.
21:47So they opened my journal in front of my parents.
21:51February 14th.
21:53Sunny.
21:53Mom put celery on my plate.
21:55I'm allergic.
21:57My throat swells.
21:58I can't breathe.
21:59I said I can't eat it.
22:00But because I was scared of making her angry, my body ran hot.
22:05The gem flashed red.
22:07The choker tightened.
22:09Mom said I was picky.
22:11Lying.
22:12Made me eat the whole plate.
22:14That night, I threw up blood.
22:16My throat felt like it was on fire.
22:18I shifted to ease my pain.
22:20Mom saw it and said I'd snuck berry juice.
22:23That I was faking.
22:25The choker tightened for 10 more minutes.
22:29Mom's hand flew to her mouth.
22:31She was shaking violently.
22:33She remembered that.
22:34She really did think it was berry juice.
22:37She didn't even look closely.
22:39Just turned away to read Emma a bedtime story.
22:43That was blood from a swollen, torn throat.
22:47June 1st.
22:48Pup's Day.
22:49Emma shredded Mom's ceremonial cloak.
22:52Emma's heart is always calm.
22:54Her gem stays green.
22:56I tried to explain, but I was scared of being hit.
23:00My body ran hot.
23:01Red gem.
23:02Choker tightened for 10 minutes.
23:05It hurt so bad.
23:07But I didn't cry.
23:08Because crying makes your body run hotter.
23:11And Mom thinks that means you're not sorry.
23:13So I held my breath.
23:15Pretended it didn't hurt.
23:17Mom said,
23:18See?
23:19She doesn't even blink.
23:21She's definitely faking it.
23:23Dad couldn't take it anymore.
23:25This man, who had always put the pack before his own family, chose duty over his daughter for 10 years.
23:31You monster!
23:33What did you do?
23:34That was your daughter!
23:37You treated her like a stray!
23:39Blood at the corner of her mouth.
23:41Not my fault.
23:42Not my fault.
23:43It's her.
23:44It's Emma.
23:45Emma's gem was always green.
23:48Emma was the good one.
23:49If it wasn't for that green light making me trust her, I wouldn't have believed the red light so much.
23:55This is Emma's fault.
23:57That little princess everyone had protected.
23:59One of the council elders walked over.
24:01Gently removed the green Verity choker from her neck.
24:04Took out a blade.
24:06Pried the gem loose right there.
24:08It rolled onto the table.
24:11Still glowing green.
24:12Steady.
24:13Unchanged.
24:14The elder picked up the stone.
24:16A glowstone.
24:17That is all.
24:19Your younger daughter's choker was always going to shine green.
24:23No matter what she said, did, or lied about, it would never change.
24:29Your so-called Verity choker was a fraud.
24:32That was her truth for ten years.
24:35That was the evidence she used to convict me.
24:38A common glowstone that put me in hell while Emma lived in paradise.
24:42So I wasn't a liar.
24:45I laughed.
24:46Laughed until I cried.
24:48Turns out, ghosts could cry too.
24:50The elder turned to the last page of the journal.
24:52His voice broke.
24:54The handwriting was a mess, clearly written while dying.
24:57Mom, if I die, will the choker stop glowing red?
25:01Or if it turns green, will you hug me then?
25:04I'm not lying.
25:05I couldn't heal myself anymore.
25:07My stomach hurts so much.
25:09Like knives.
25:11Next life, please don't make me wear the choker.
25:14Please.
25:15I just want to be a normal pup.
25:17I want to eat mom's roasted meat.
25:19Mom stared at the broken glowstone on the table.
25:21That truth magic she trusted without question?
25:24A worthless stone.
25:25Because of that stone, she spoiled Emma for ten years.
25:30Because of that cursed red light, she tortured me for ten years.
25:37Mom started laughing.
25:39Her voice cracking in every sound.
25:42Worse than crying.
25:44Fake!
25:45All fake!
25:48I killed my most honest pup.
25:51And I worshipped a liar!
25:54She'd lost her mind.
25:55For real this time.
25:57My death became the talk of the entire pack.
26:00Lisa, the neighbor who had sent for the pack healer, told everyone what she'd seen.
26:05Every wolf knew by morning.
26:07Luna had starved her own daughter to death.
26:10Monster!
26:12Murderer!
26:13She doesn't deserve to be Luna!
26:16She doesn't deserve to be Luna!
26:16Stones flew at our door.
26:17The word killer carved into the wall.
26:20The council convened within the day.
26:22The verdict was swift.
26:24Dad lost his alpha title.
26:26No wolf would follow him now.
26:28My grandfather, the former alpha, read out the judgment himself.
26:32He didn't look at his son once.
26:35Dad walked out of the council hall and never looked back.
26:38He took Emma and left the pack that same night.
26:41Emma was a bad seed, sure.
26:43But she was still his blood.
26:45Before they left, Emma tried to take her green choker.
26:49Dad stomped on it.
26:50Why the hell would you want that piece of trash?
26:53Emma cried as he dragged her away.
26:55Mom got out of the dungeon.
26:57The healer said she had lost her mind.
26:59The council locked her in the home instead.
27:02The one that still smelled like death.
27:04Her mental state deteriorated fast.
27:06She refused to take off the red choker.
27:09She would tighten it herself whenever the guilt got too heavy.
27:12She said choking was the only thing that eased it.
27:15It was her self-imposed punishment.
27:18I floated in the darkness.
27:20My wolf curled beside me, watching her unravel day after day.
27:24She'd talk to the empty corner where I used to stand.
27:26Stella, I brought you some food.
27:28No celery today.
27:30It's all roast.
27:32Just how you like it.
27:33But there was no food.
27:34There was nothing.
27:36Just her hands, cupped around air.
27:38She'd pretend to set a plate down.
27:41Her hands shook.
27:42The gem flashed red.
27:44She was anxious.
27:45Guilty.
27:46Falling apart.
27:47She smiled, but her eyes were empty.
27:49The gem is red.
27:51Mom is lying.
27:53Liars don't deserve food.
27:55She pulled the choker tight with her own hands.
27:57Let it choke her.
27:58Her body convulsed against the cold floor.
28:01It hurts so much.
28:03Is this how Stella felt?
28:05I'm sorry.
28:06Mom started reenacting my diary entries.
28:09I couldn't eat celery because of my allergy.
28:13So she forced herself to eat spoiled food until she vomited blood, then swallowed it back down.
28:19I was locked in isolation.
28:21So she locked herself in my old room, lights off, and bowed to my portrait until her forehead
28:27bled.
28:28Over and over.
28:30Blood on the floor.
28:32Late at night, she'd see the red glow of the bloodstone reflected on the wall.
28:37To her, it looked like my bloody eyes were watching.
28:40She kept punishing herself.
28:42The wounds healed slower and slower.
28:45Her wolf, exhausted by months of self-torture, slowly fell into a deep sleep.
28:51Mom didn't care.
28:52She scrawled on the back of my journal.
28:54I'm sorry.
28:55I was wrong.
28:57Red means pain.
28:58Red means love.
29:00Please come back and say it hurts hurts one more time.
29:03I'll save you.
29:05I promise.
29:05Too bad I'm dead.
29:07Dead wolves can't cry for help.
29:09Eventually, the new alpha intervened.
29:12Mom's self-harm had gone too far.
29:14She'd nearly choked herself to death with her own hands.
29:17He ordered her to move to a small hut at the far edge of the village, locked from the
29:22outside.
29:23Someone posted to watch her day and night.
29:25She was the strangest woman they'd ever seen.
29:28Nobody knew where she'd found it.
29:30A frayed red cord tied around her own neck.
29:34Her homemade choker.
29:35If anyone tried to remove it, she'd snap at them.
29:39Teeth bared, snarling, wild-eyed.
29:42Don't touch me!
29:44Stella's watching.
29:46She'll be angry if you take it!
29:48Every time the guard called her name and brought her food, Mom would grab the red cord and pull
29:53it tight against her own throat, convulsing, screaming.
29:57Red light!
29:58Red light!
29:59Don't punish!
30:00Punish me!
30:01I'll eat!
30:02I'll eat!
30:04Even if the food was scalding hot, she'd gulp it down, burning her throat.
30:09Wouldn't spit it out.
30:10She was reenacting my final moments, living my hell on repeat.
30:15Years later, Emma grew up, without guidance and with a trail of shame behind her.
30:20She drifted from pack to pack, stealing to survive.
30:24No one would take her in.
30:25When she ran out of options, she remembered.
30:28Mom was still alive.
30:30She slipped back into the silverman pack under the cover of night.
30:34Not for love, for money.
30:37Hey, crazy lady!
30:39Dad's dead!
30:40Give me whatever you've been hiding!
30:42Emma stood there, face hard, eyes full of contempt.
30:46She looked at Mom's hollow, broken form and spat on the floor.
30:50It's disgusting.
30:52Give me what I want, or I'll send you to meet your daughter.
30:56For a moment, Mom's cloudy eyes cleared.
30:59She looked at Emma, and suddenly remembered.
31:02That choker.
31:03That always green glowstone.
31:06That decade of deception.
31:08It's you!
31:09You lie!
31:11You're the green light that wasn't there!
31:13You killed Stella!
31:15Give her back to me!
31:16Give her back to me!
31:18The last shred of maternal love twisted into something feral.
31:22Mom lunged, grabbed Emma by the throat.
31:26You should have died!
31:28Not her!
31:29You!
31:31Emma thrashed, but couldn't break free from a madwoman's grip.
31:35The guards rushed in, pulled her off.
31:38Emma stumbled out of the hut, terrified.
31:41They're all insane!
31:43She bolted into the forest.
31:44She didn't get far.
31:46Rogues.
31:47The kind that haunted the borderlands.
31:49Preying on anyone foolish enough to run through the trees alone at night.
31:54Emma never saw them coming.
31:56By the time she did, it was too late.
31:58She survived.
32:00Barely.
32:00Both legs shattered beyond repair.
32:03She'd never walk again.
32:05Meanwhile, Mom was strapped to her cot, staring at the ceiling.
32:09Tears streaming.
32:10In her dreams, she finally saw me.
32:12I was ten again.
32:14No choker.
32:15White dress.
32:16Smiling.
32:17Mom!
32:18She reached for me, crying with joy.
32:21Stella!
32:22But the moment her hands touched me, I burst into ash.
32:26No!
32:27She woke up screaming.
32:29If she'd been wearing that choker, it would have been blood red.
32:33Eternal torment.
32:35I stood in the void, watching it all.
32:37Mom strapped to her bed.
32:38Emma in a wheelchair, begging on the market.
32:41Dad, drunk and dead in some gutter.
32:44I felt nothing.
32:45No satisfaction.
32:47Just a flat, dead calm.
32:49My wolf padded over quietly.
32:51She didn't howl.
32:53Didn't nudge.
32:54Just pressed her head against my hand and held it there.
32:57In the distance, a door of light appeared.
32:59Soft.
33:00Steady.
33:01Waiting.
33:02I looked at my wolf.
33:04She looked at me.
33:05Yeah.
33:05Time to leave.
33:06This life was too bitter.
33:08Nothing worth holding onto.
33:10I floated to Mom's hut one final time.
33:13She looked ancient.
33:14Hair completely white.
33:15Frail as paper.
33:16She sensed something.
33:18Her cloudy eyes focused on a point in the air, right where I stood.
33:21Stella, is that you?
33:23Her trembling hand reached into the emptiness.
33:25Mom destroyed the choker.
33:27I don't believe in it anymore.
33:28Come back, please.
33:30I'll cook for you.
33:31No salary.
33:32I'll buy you new dresses.
33:33Not Emma.
33:34Tears rolled down her face.
33:36I looked at the red marks on her neck from the frayed cord.
33:39I...
33:39I reached out.
33:40My cold, ghostly finger touched her forehead.
33:43This was my final mercy.
33:45Sleep, Mom.
33:46In sleep, there's no pain.
33:48Her eyes fluttered shut.
33:49She slumped into a deep, dreamless rest.
33:52A breeze blew through the hut.
33:54The old journal on her cot flipped open.
33:56The last page, my dying words, stared up at the ceiling.
34:00But below it, in shaky handwriting, were new lines.
34:03Written by Mom during a lucid moment.
34:05Next life, let me wear the choker.
34:08Let me be the liar.
34:09Punish me however you want.
34:11Just don't leave me.
34:12I stared at those words.
34:13Felt nothing.
34:14Too late.
34:14Repentance means nothing to the dead.
34:17Mom, I don't hate you anymore.
34:20But I don't love you either.
34:21Let's not meet again.
34:22I turned away.
34:23My wolf was waiting.
34:25In the distance, the door of light still glowed.
34:27Soft.
34:28Steady.
34:28Patient.
34:29I looked at my neck, the phantom Verity choker, still there, even in spirit form.
34:34The nightmare that had changed me for a lifetime.
34:37I grabbed it.
34:38It shattered into nothing.
34:39I felt weightless.
34:40Free.
34:41No red light.
34:42No hunger.
34:43No lies.
34:44Just freedom.
34:44My wolf pressed against my side.
34:46Together, we walked toward the light.
34:48I didn't look back.
34:50Morning came.
34:50A guard pushed open the door.
34:52Rachel!
34:53Time to eat!
34:53No response.
34:54She walked closer.
34:55Mom's hand clutched the torn journal.
34:57A single tear crystallized at the corner of her eye.
35:00She crouched beside her, held two fingers beneath her nose.
35:03Nothing.
35:04She was gone.
35:05Passing through the door wasn't violent.
35:07No spinning.
35:08No chaos.
35:09Just warmth.
35:10Like sinking into a spring stream.
35:12I looked to my side.
35:13My wolf was gone.
35:14I didn't panic.
35:15I pressed my hand to my chest.
35:17And there she was.
35:18Steady.
35:19Warm.
35:19Warm.
35:19Then I heard her voice.
35:21Not a whimper.
35:22Not a whine.
35:23Clear.
35:23And bright.
35:24And full of life.
35:25Like the first time we met.
35:26Run!
35:27I shifted.
35:28Four paws hit the ground and I ran.
35:30Through forests that smelled of pine and rain.
35:33Through cold, shallow streams that splashed silver around my legs.
35:37Through meadows I had never seen but somehow knew.
35:39My white fur caught the light.
35:41My paws were sure.
35:43My lungs were full.
35:44My body was strong.
35:46No choker around my throat.
35:48No red light.
35:48No hunger.
35:50The lingering ache in my soul.
35:52The phantom pain of ten years.
35:54Started to fade with every step.
35:56I ran toward brightness.
35:58Behind me, old life dissolved like a worn photograph left out in the rain.
36:02Mom's final tear.
36:04The red glow of the choker.
36:06Blood on the journal pages.
36:07Gone.
36:08I didn't look back.
36:09That ten year nightmare was finally, truly, over.
36:13When I opened my eyes again, I was tiny.
36:16Wrapped in soft blankets.
36:18Someone was humming.
36:19Mmm.
36:21A woman's voice.
36:22Gentle.
36:23Off key.
36:24But full of love.
36:25Her fingers brushed my cheek.
36:27The scent of wild flowers.
36:29Not the cold, clinical distance of my old mother.
36:32Not the silence of someone who only touched me to punish.
36:35I blinked up at her.
36:37She had kind eyes.
36:39A soft smile.
36:41She cradled me like I was made of glass.
36:43Grace is awake, honey.
36:45Come quick.
36:47Our daughter just opened her eyes.
36:49A man appeared.
36:50Tall.
36:51A little awkward.
36:52But his face lit up when he saw me.
36:54He touched my tiny hand with one finger.
36:57His voice was deep.
36:58Warm.
36:59Hey Grace, I'm your dad.
37:03Grace.
37:05Not Stella.
37:06No weight.
37:07No chains.
37:08No red light.
37:09Just Grace.
37:10A name that meant something light.
37:12Something cherished.
37:14This house was small.
37:15But warm.
37:16Full of light.
37:17Cartoon painting on the walls.
37:19Flowers by the window.
37:21Sunlight pouring through the windows.
37:23Warm on the floor.
37:24I realized fast.
37:26This family was nothing like the last one.
37:28They never forced me to do anything.
37:31There were no chokers.
37:33No red lights.
37:34No punishments for things I hadn't done.
37:36I grew.
37:38Learned to crawl.
37:39To talk.
37:40And when I was three, Mom made a stew with celery.
37:43The green stalks in the bowl triggered me.
37:46I flashed back to choking.
37:48Throat swelling.
37:49Vomiting blood.
37:50I stumbled backwards, shaking.
37:53Tears came without permission.
37:55Mom immediately put down her spoon.
37:57Crouched.
37:58Pulled me into a hug.
38:00Grace.
38:01What's wrong?
38:01You don't like celery?
38:03I couldn't speak.
38:04Just shook my head, sobbing.
38:06Dad knelt too.
38:07Rubbed my back.
38:09Hey, it's okay.
38:10You don't have to eat it.
38:12Can you tell us why?
38:13Their eyes were patient.
38:15Gentle.
38:16Finally, I choked out.
38:17It hurts my throat.
38:20Makes me bleed.
38:21They didn't say,
38:23The Verity choker doesn't lie.
38:25They didn't accuse me of faking.
38:27They took me to the pack healer immediately.
38:29Turns out, I really do have a celery allergy.
38:33After that, celery never appeared in the house again.
38:36Mom added it to her market list.
38:38Grace's allergies.
38:40Celery.
38:41She checked every time she shopped.
38:43I lay in her arms that night, smelling wildflowers, and realized, this is what it feels like to be believed.
38:50Love isn't measured by a stone.
38:52It's listening, even when the story sounds impossible.
38:56When I was four, Dad took me to the pack healer for my first health check.
39:00There was a blood draw.
39:01I saw the needle and lost it.
39:03Flashes of the choker tightening around my throat.
39:06Flashes of starvation.
39:08I screamed.
39:09Clung to Dad's leg.
39:11The healer sighed.
39:12I couldn't stop shaking.
39:14Don't punish me.
39:15I'm not lying.
39:17Dad immediately scooped me up.
39:19Sorry, she's not ready.
39:20We'll come back another time.
39:21On the walk home, Dad didn't scold me for being weak.
39:25He just asked gently.
39:27Grace, did someone hurt you before?
39:30I buried my face in his shoulder, tears soaking his shirt.
39:34Mom.
39:35Joker.
39:36Red light.
39:37I couldn't explain it clearly, but he listened, nodded.
39:42It's okay.
39:43Dad's here now.
39:45No one's ever hurting you again.
39:47From then on, they took me to the pack healer regularly.
39:50Not for blood draws.
39:52Just to talk.
39:53She has been hurt.
39:54Be patient with her.
39:56My parents never complained.
39:58Never made me feel like a burden.
40:00They bought me a colorful necklace, but never forced me to wear it.
40:03This is just a pretty thing, Grace.
40:05Wear it if you want.
40:06Take it off if you don't.
40:08We'll love you either way.
40:10Slowly, I started to heal.
40:11I could say, I don't like this.
40:14Without fear.
40:15I could say, I'm scared.
40:17I could say, I want that.
40:20I didn't have to worry about my heart racing being proof of a lie.
40:23I started sharing my stories with them.
40:25I cried when I didn't get a toy.
40:28I laughed when I got praise.
40:29I was finally just a pup.
40:32A normal, loved pup.
40:36When I turned seven, I started at the pack school.
40:39There was a girl in my class, Annie Sullivan.
40:42She looked exactly like Emma.
40:45Same eyes, but her hair was shorter.
40:47And she was timid.
40:50Scared.
40:51The first time I saw her, my heart clenched.
40:54Flashbacks.
40:55Emma's smug grin.
40:57The green light mocking me.
40:59I stepped back instinctively.
41:01Annie noticed.
41:02She looked down, voice barely a whisper.
41:05I'm Annie.
41:07Do you want to be friends?
41:09Her tone was so careful.
41:11So desperate to please.
41:13Just like I used to be.
41:15I glanced at her neck.
41:16She wore a simple choker with green gem.
41:18My stomach turned.
41:21Later, I found out, Annie's mom was strict too.
41:24Demanded honesty.
41:26Locked her in her room without food when she made mistakes.
41:30One day, Annie accidentally knocked over the teacher's ink pot.
41:33She was trembling.
41:35Too scared to admit it.
41:36I saw her face.
41:38Red rimmed eyes.
41:39Barely holding back tears.
41:41I remembered myself at that desk, writing,
41:43I am a liar.
41:45Over and over.
41:46I walked over.
41:48Took her hand.
41:50Annie, it's okay.
41:52Accidents happen.
41:54Let's tell the teacher together.
41:55She won't be mad.
41:57Annie looked at me, shocked.
41:59But mom says liars are bad wolves?
42:01Being honest isn't about never making mistakes.
42:04It's about owning up when you do.
42:06And even if you tell the truth, you shouldn't be punished for it.
42:09If the teacher gets angry, I'll stand with you.
42:12If your mom gets angry, come to my house.
42:15My parents will help.
42:16I gave her the courage I never had.
42:18She confessed.
42:19The teacher forgave her.
42:21Told her to be more careful next time.
42:23From that day on, we have been best friends.
42:26I brought Annie home to meet my parents.
42:28She saw how warm they were.
42:30How they didn't yell.
42:31Didn't punish little things.
42:33I told her,
42:34You don't have to make everyone happy.
42:37You're allowed to feel things.
42:40Say things.
42:41One day, Annie's mom came to pick her up from school.
42:44She saw us together and her face twisted.
42:47She grabbed Annie's hand.
42:49Did you mess up again?
42:51Is Grace covering for you?
42:52Annie immediately looked down.
42:55Silent.
42:55I stepped in front of her.
42:57Looked at the mom in the eye.
42:59Ma'am, Annie didn't do anything wrong.
43:01She's a good pup.
43:03You shouldn't always assume the worst.
43:08She's scared of you.
43:10The mom froze.
43:11Looked at me.
43:12Then at Annie's tear-filled eyes.
43:14Her expression softened.
43:16That night, she called my mom.
43:18Thanked her.
43:19Said I'd opened her eyes.
43:20Over time, Annie's mom got gentler.
43:23You can tell me what you want to do.
43:23Started listening instead of yelling.
43:25And Annie?
43:26She blossomed.
43:28Confident.
43:29Happy.
43:29Happy.
43:30I watched her laugh freely one day.
43:32And felt this warmth in my chest.
43:34I didn't get saved in my last life.
43:36I suffered alone in the dark.
43:38But this time, I could save someone else.
43:41I could stop another Stella from happening.
43:43Maybe that's the gift my past life gave me.
43:46The ability to see pain.
43:48And to heal it.
43:49When I was 10, my parents took me to visit grandma.
43:52There was an old oak tree in her yard.
43:54Its branches spread wide, casting shade over the whole garden.
43:57I sat beneath it.
43:59Watching sunlight filter through the leaves.
44:01My wolf dozed inside me.
44:03Warm and content.
44:04Then I saw her.
44:05An old woman.
44:06White hair.
44:07Hunched over a walking stick.
44:09Wearing a faded blue dress.
44:10The second I saw her face, I froze.
44:13She looked exactly like Rachel.
44:16My old mother.
44:17Grandma noticed me too.
44:18Walked over slowly.
44:20Her eyes were hazy.
44:21But there was something familiar in them.
44:23Something heavy.
44:24What's your name child?
44:25Grace.
44:26She repeated it softly.
44:27Grace.
44:28That's a beautiful name.
44:29She reached out like she wanted to touch my hair.
44:32Then hesitated.
44:33Pulled back.
44:33Like she was afraid of disturbing something sacred.
44:36My mom came over.
44:37Studied her.
44:38Mom.
44:39This is our daughter.
44:40Grace.
44:40So she was my grandma in this life too.
44:43Over the next few days, grandma watched me constantly.
44:46Her expression was unreadable.
44:48One morning, she brought me a bowl of roasted meat.
44:50Grace.
44:51Eat up.
44:51This used to be your favorite.
44:52I stared at the bowl.
44:54In my last life, I wrote in my dying breath,
44:56I want to eat mom's roasted meat.
44:59And here was grandma, saying those exact words.
45:02Tears blurred my vision.
45:03This wasn't some distant wish anymore.
45:06It was real.
45:07Right in front of me.
45:08I picked up a piece.
45:09Bit into it.
45:10Tender.
45:11Sweet.
45:11Perfect.
45:12Grandma smiled.
45:13A tired, guilty smile.
45:15That night, lying in bed with my wolf curled warm inside my chest,
45:19I thought about Rachel's last words.
45:21Next life.
45:22Let me wear the choker.
45:24Let me be the liar.
45:25Punish me however you want.
45:27Just don't leave me.
45:28I thought about her final tear.
45:30The torn journal.
45:31I didn't hate her anymore.
45:32Hating someone is like locking yourself in the past.
45:35Chewing on pain forever.
45:37This life's warmth had already washed away the bitterness.
45:40I just felt sad.
45:41Sad that she only understood too late.
45:44Real love was never about stones or punishment.
45:46We stayed for a month.
45:48Then went back home.
45:49Before I left, she held my hand.
45:51Grace.
45:51Live well.
45:52Be happy.
45:53Her voice was soft, but heavy with meaning.
45:55I nodded.
45:56You too, Grandma.
45:57I watched her walk away.
45:58And I felt nothing.
46:00No anger.
46:01No grief.
46:02The grudges of my past life were like fallen leaves.
46:05Blown away by the wind.
46:06I wasn't Stella anymore.
46:08The girl locked in the dark, choking on a lie.
46:10I was Grace Sterling.
46:12Surrounded by love.
46:13Free.
46:13At 13, I graduated from PAC school.
46:16Got into the best academy in the region.
46:18My parents took me to the lake for a picnic to celebrate.
46:21I stood at the edge of the water.
46:23Wind in my hair.
46:24The scent of pine and cold water on my skin.
46:27I stretched out my arms, feeling the freedom.
46:30For a moment, I saw her.
46:31My ghost self, floating.
46:33Desperate to hug someone, but passing right through.
46:37Grace, what are you thinking?
46:38Dad handed me a drink.
46:40I smiled.
46:40Just, I'm grateful.
46:42To be alive.
46:43To be with you both.
46:44Mom pulled me into a hug.
46:46Silly girl.
46:47We're the lucky ones.
46:48No one said anything.
46:49We all just shifted at the same time.
46:52Like we'd done it a hundred times before.
46:54We ran together through the trees.
46:56Through the shallow edge of the lake.
46:58Water spraying silver around our paws.
47:00Eventually, I slowed down, turned, and threw myself at them.
47:05We tumbled into the grass together.
47:07Mom nuzzled her head against mine.
47:09Dad licked the top of my head with lazy affection.
47:12I pressed into them both and stayed there.
47:15Breathing hard, warm, all the way through.
47:17I looked up at the sky through the canopy of trees.
47:20I didn't need to prove I wasn't a liar anymore.
47:22I didn't need to fear a red light.
47:24I could laugh, cry, speak freely.
47:27I had parents who loved me.
47:29A best friend.
47:30A healthy body.
47:31A bright future.
47:32This was the life I died wishing for.
47:35That night, I wrote in my journal.
47:37Not the blood-stained confessions of my old life.
47:39This one was full of happiness, growth, love.
47:43I wrote,
47:44Today, we ran by the lake.
47:46Mom and dad shifted with me without saying a word.
47:49We tumbled in the grass like pups.
47:51I thought about my past self.
47:52That little girl, locked in a room.
47:55Choking in the dark.
47:56Desperate to be loved.
47:57She'd never believed that I could be this happy.
48:00Mom and dad loved me.
48:01They taught me that honesty isn't something you punish out of someone.
48:05It's something you grow.
48:06With patience and warmth.
48:08Annie is my best friend now.
48:10She laughs freely.
48:12She speaks without flinching.
48:14Grandma is getting older.
48:15But her eyes are warm when she looks at me.
48:17My wolf grows stronger every day.
48:20With her beside me, I feel at ease.
48:22I don't hate anyone anymore.
48:24I don't cling to the past.
48:25Those painful memories are like paw prints in the mud.
48:29Washed away by rain.
48:30But they taught me to cherish every step forward.
48:33I know my old mom, sister, and dad got what they deserved.
48:37And I finally broke free.
48:39I found real freedom.
48:41I don't want to see them again.
48:42I don't want to relive that life.
48:44I just want to be grey, simple, happy, loved.
48:48The lake was beautiful.
48:49Life was beautiful.
48:50I closed my journal.
48:52Looked out the window.
48:53Moonlight shimmered on the water through the trees.
48:55My wolf stirred softly inside my chest.
48:58Warm.
48:58Steady.
48:59I smiled.
49:00This life.
49:01I finally became who I wanted to be.
49:03No red light.
49:04No starvation.
49:06No lies.
49:06Just love.
49:07Freedom.
49:08Happiness.
49:09And those scars from my past?
49:10They became part of me.
49:12Proof that I had survived.
49:14Proof that darkness, no matter how long it lasts, cannot swallow you whole.
49:18Not if you keep moving toward the light.
49:20The road ahead is long, but I will walk it with courage, with joy toward something even brighter.
49:27To be continued.
49:27To be continued.
49:28To be continued.
49:28To be continued.
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