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