- 3 hours ago
Blood Pearl of the Mer
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Short filmTranscript
00:00They threw my sister into a great basin filled with pearls
00:02Her massive tail glowed blue in the dark
00:04The soldiers potted her body with filthy hands
00:07Blue scales scattered everywhere
00:09They did not stop
00:10Not until they cut open her belly
00:12Not until they reached inside her
00:14Not until they tore out the glowing tide pearl hidden within her
00:17Only then were they satisfied
00:18Because High Consort Selene had heard a rumor
00:21That in the Southern Sea lived the Tideborn
00:23And that every Tide Saint carried a legendary Tide Pearl inside her body
00:26A pearl that, if embedded within one's own flesh
00:29Would grant a beauty that never fades
00:31After hearing that, Selene could think of nothing else
00:34So Emperor Lucian sent soldiers to slaughter my people
00:37Just to make her smile
00:38They dragged my sister out
00:40Cut her open
00:41And stole her pearl
00:42That day, the sea turned red
00:44Everywhere I looked
00:46My people were floating in the water
00:47Their bodies split open
00:49I hid beneath a reef
00:50Shaking in silence
00:52Blood stung my eyes
00:53My tears fell as pearls
00:55Each one red with hatred
00:56And in my ear
00:58I could still hear my sister's last words
01:00Mira
01:01Live
01:02The world was told a lie
01:03They thought the sea only birthed one heart for my people
01:06They didn't know about me
01:07The shadow
01:08The spare
01:09But they were wrong
01:10This generation had two
01:12And one of them was me
01:14The one born with a body made to ruin men
01:16The one whose flesh and blood could raise a thousand brood curses
01:19I crawled onto the shore
01:20Enduring pain so savage it felt like my bones were being torn apart
01:24Then I used forbidden blood craft
01:26To split my tail into legs
01:27I offered my own flesh and blood as tribute
01:30And raised brood curse after brood curse
01:32Venomous things
01:34Worms
01:35Spiders
01:35Serpents
01:36All feeding on me
01:38Until one black snake slithered over my wrist
01:40Its tongue bright red
01:42It devoured every other creature I had raised
01:44Thousands of them
01:45And became the brood king
01:47Its name was shade
01:48From that moment on
01:49I trained without mercy
01:51Three months later
01:52My brood craft was complete
01:54Then I made my way to the capital
01:56Alone
01:57Half starved
01:58Still alive
01:59I disguised myself as a court dancer
02:02And entered the palace
02:03And with a pouch of blood stained pearls
02:05Made from my own tears
02:07I bought the one thing I needed most
02:09Information on Emperor Lucian's whereabouts
02:11That night
02:12Moonlight spilled across the lake like silver
02:14I stepped onto the water
02:16And danced
02:17Each touch of my toes sent ripples of pale light
02:20Across the surface
02:21My scent drifted into the night air
02:23Sweet
02:24Soft
02:25Impossible to ignore
02:26Soon
02:27Butterflies came in swarms
02:29Drawn to me as if enchanted
02:31They circled my body
02:32Fluttering around me
02:34Refusing to leave
02:35And Emperor Lucian stood there watching
02:37Watching for so long
02:39He forgot to hide it
02:40When the dance ended
02:41I turned by chance
02:43And met his eyes
02:44I froze
02:45Then quickly bent down to put on my shoes
02:47Pretending I had only just noticed him
02:50I was about to leave
02:51When his voice stopped me
02:53You're one of the palace dancers?
02:55That dance was remarkable
02:56And yet I've never seen it before
02:58I lowered my eyes
02:59And answered as if I did not know who he was
03:02It is a dance from my homeland
03:04Very few have ever seen it
03:06It was early spring
03:08The wind off the lake was cold
03:10My body trembled lightly in the night air
03:12He noticed
03:13Of course he noticed
03:14So he removed his pale silver robe
03:16And draped it over my shoulders himself
03:18Gently
03:19For a moment
03:20I looked up at him in surprise
03:22Heat rose to my face
03:24A blush where he could see it
03:25My scent deepened between us
03:27Turning the silence softer
03:29Warmer
03:30More dangerous
03:31And I saw it then
03:32That flash in his eyes
03:34Wonder
03:34Desire
03:35He steadied himself before speaking again
03:38Selina loves dance
03:39Her birthday is approaching
03:41You will perform this dance for her
03:43I dropped to my knees at once
03:45Letting fear flood my face
03:47I did not know it was your majesty
03:48Please forgive me
03:50He waved the apology aside
03:52Rise
03:52You are forgiven
03:53Just do not disappoint me
03:55I bowed my head
03:57And accepted the command
03:58But as I watched him walk away
04:00I moved one finger
04:01Just once
04:02A tiny broodling slipped through the air
04:05Landed against his skin
04:06And burrowed inside
04:07By the next morning
04:09The whole inner court had heard the story
04:11The emperor had encountered a dancer by the lake
04:13And he had not forgotten her
04:15Then came a knock at my door
04:16When I opened it
04:18An older palace matron stood outside
04:20A stranger
04:21And I knew at once
04:22Someone had already come for me
04:24They brought me before high consort Selina
04:27Inside her palace hall
04:28She sat alone on a raised dais
04:30Draped in silk and jewels
04:32Shining like a woman who believed the world belonged to her
04:35It was her
04:36The woman who had destroyed my people
04:38For a single tied pearl
04:39The woman who had my sister cut open
04:41The moment she saw me
04:43Disgust twisted across her face
04:45She let out a soft, mocking laugh
04:47And covered her mouth with lacquered fingers
04:49This ugly thing?
04:51And you expect her to dance for me?
04:53Before coming here
04:54I had covered my face in dark blotches
04:57Spots
04:58Imperfections
04:59A mask made of ugliness
05:01Selene was viciously jealous
05:02If she had seen my real face now
05:05I would not have walked out alive
05:06So I knelt in the center of the hall
05:08My fingers digging into my palms
05:10Forcing down the hatred clawing up my throat
05:12Your grace
05:13I will dance with a veil over my face
05:16I will not offend your eyes
05:18She gave me a lazy wave
05:20Oh enough
05:21With a face like that I doubt you could stir trouble even if you tried
05:24But since this was his majesty's idea
05:26I'll allow it
05:27The palace matron beside her led me out at once
05:30And just as I stepped through the doors
05:32I saw Emperor Lucien approaching
05:34Our eyes met for only a moment
05:36Only a glance
05:38But the face he saw now
05:39Was nothing like the one he had seen by the lake
05:42Still
05:42My scent gave me away
05:44It always would
05:45He knew at once this disguise was a way to stay alive
05:48Because if Selene had seen my true face
05:50The woman leaving this hall would have been a corpse
05:52At that thought
05:53Lucien's expression darkened
05:55He frowned
05:56And for one of the few times in his life
05:58Real irritation toward Selene stirred in him
06:01I smiled faintly to myself
06:02That was enough
06:04A single seed of displeasure was all I needed
06:06Once planted
06:07It would take root in his heart
06:09It would grow
06:10Quietly
06:11Slowly
06:12Until it became something vast enough
06:14To swallow all this old devotion
06:16And when that day came
06:17What would all her favor matter then
06:19The higher Selene stood
06:21The harder I would make her fall
06:22Back in my chamber
06:24I watched the false blotches from my face
06:26And looked at myself in the mirror
06:28Selene
06:29You wanted a beauty that would never fade
06:31You wanted a body born to seduce
06:33You wanted to possess what should never have been yours
06:35So I will make sure
06:37Everything you wanted
06:38Everything you stole
06:40Everything you still cling to
06:41Turns to nothing
06:42Then shade slid soundlessly around my wrist
06:45His red tongue flicking against the air
06:47I stroked his small black head
06:49And whispered
06:50Even in death I will find you
06:53I will hunt you down
06:55Selene's birthday was celebrated with extravagant splendor
06:59Overnight
07:00The imperial lake bloomed with lotus flowers
07:03Thousands of them
07:04The court called it a blessing
07:06An omen of favor from the heavens
07:08At the lakeside
07:09Lucien stood hand in hand with Selene
07:13Your majesty promised me a birthday gift
07:16When will you show it to me?
07:19Lucien gave a slight nod
07:20The music began
07:23And I stepped onto the lake
07:24Onto lotus leaves
07:26As if the flowers were blooming beneath my feet
07:29My scent rose again into the air
07:31And the butterflies came back
07:33In waves
07:35They swarmed around me
07:36Dancing with me beneath the moonlit sky
07:38Everyone watching fell silent
07:40No one except Selene
07:42Her fingers digging hard into her own palm
07:45Then as I turned
07:47The veil slipped from my face
07:49And my true face was revealed
07:51I looked straight at Selene
07:53Just once
07:54I saw it in her eyes at once
07:56Jealousy so sharp
07:57By the time the dance ended
07:59No one had recovered enough to speak
08:01I walked forward
08:03And knelt before Lucien
08:06My name is Meera
08:07I offer my wishes to High Consort Selene
08:09On her birthday
08:10May your majesty and your grace
08:12Remain devoted to each other
08:13Until your hair turns white
08:14And may the Auric Empire
08:16Flourish without end
08:18Rise
08:21You did not disappoint me
08:24Selene nearly cracked a tooth
08:25From smiling too hard
08:26Your majesty's gift
08:28I like it very much
08:31I'm glad
08:34That tiny broodling
08:35I had planted in him by the lake
08:37Was working now
08:38Quietly
08:38Twisting his moods
08:40I curled one finger
08:41Ready to draw it back
08:42Your majesty
08:45Why not grant this beauty to me
08:47As a gift between our two kingdoms
08:50That is the crown prince of Vare
08:52The man stepped forward through the crowd
08:54He carried himself like someone used to being obeyed
08:57He saluted Lucien with the ease of an equal
09:00I greet your majesty
09:02I am Prince Cassian of Vare
09:04Then his gaze settled on me
09:05Openly
09:06Without shame
09:08If your majesty is willing to give this beauty to me
09:12I swear our two kingdoms will not see war
09:15For a hundred years
09:17The moment he said it
09:18The whole court seemed to draw in the breath
09:20A century of peace
09:22In exchange for one palace dancer
09:24One woman
09:25To everyone watching
09:26It was an impossible bargain to refuse
09:28Your majesty
09:30For a girl like her to be sent to Vare
09:32As a prince's consort
09:34Would already be a splendid fate
09:36Lucien said nothing
09:38But I could see it in his face
09:39He understood the trade
09:41Sacrifice one insignificant woman
09:43And two kingdoms stay at peace
09:45Any ruler should have taken it
09:47Any ruler would have taken it
09:49So why?
09:50I lifted my face
09:51And looked at him quietly
09:53I had painted a floral marking
09:55At the corner of my eyes
09:56It made me look softer
09:58Lucien's expression shifted
10:00Like something sharp had gone through him
10:02Then he said it
10:03You're late prince
10:04She's already been claimed
10:06She belongs to my bed
10:08And my throne
10:09Selene turned to him so fast
10:11It was almost violent
10:12Your majesty
10:13She could barely believe what she had heard
10:15Cassian looked at me for one long moment
10:17Regret flashed across his face
10:19Then he gave a faint
10:20Disappointed smile
10:21And stepped back
10:23The matter was over
10:24For everyone else
10:25Not for me
10:27By then
10:27My back was already damp with cold sweat
10:30Too close
10:31Far too close
10:32Bank the sea
10:33I had not pulled the broodling out of Lucien yet
10:36If I had
10:37There was every chance I would have been handed over tonight
10:39Because peace bought that easily
10:41Without a single soldier marching
10:43Without a single blade drawn
10:44Is the kind of peace no emperor refuses
10:47Except this one did
10:48In broad daylight
10:49Before the whole court
10:51Lucien declared that I already belonged to him
10:54And that very night
10:55The imperial decree arrived
10:57I was officially raised to consort
10:58I left the small quarters where palace dancers were kept
11:01And looked back only once
11:03At the dim roof
11:04The narrow door
11:06The life I had entered under a false name and a hidden face
11:09Then I swore to myself
11:11In silence
11:12That everything done to my sister
11:14And everything done to my people
11:15Would be repaid a hundredfold
11:18When I reached the palace chambers
11:20That had just been a sign to me
11:21Selene was already there
11:23Waiting
11:24Her eyes traveled over my face
11:26Slowly
11:27Then she smiled
11:28A poisonous smile
11:30So
11:32You dared lie to me
11:33I met her gaze
11:34If I hadn't lied to you
11:36Do you really think I would have lived long enough to dance today?
11:39Selene let out a soft laugh
11:40She stroked the cat in her arms
11:42As if nothing in the world could disturb her
11:44So you do understand me
11:47Then perhaps you also understand this
11:50Even if his majesty has seen your face
11:52Even if he's given you a title
11:54I can still kill you whenever I please
11:57I just looked at her
11:59So have you already chosen how I die?
12:03Yes
12:04A fire in the palace
12:05Consort Mira trapped inside
12:08A tragic accident
12:09She tilted her head
12:11I have been with the emperor since we were young
12:13My father and brother have shed blood for his throne
12:17For a single life like yours
12:20He will not blame me
12:22Her people moved before I could answer
12:24They seized my arms
12:25Bound my wrists
12:27Bound my ankles
12:28Then threw me to the floor
12:29Oil was splashed all around me
12:31Across the walls
12:33Across the drapes
12:34Across the threshold
12:35I could smell it instantly
12:37Selene stood over me
12:39Watching
12:39Waiting
12:40Then the first spark fell
12:42As the flames caught
12:43She laughed
12:44His majesty is drunk tonight
12:46There is no one in this palace who can save you
12:49Then she turned and walked away
12:51I watched her go
12:52Without a flicker on my face
12:54No fear
12:55No pleading
12:56Nothing
12:57Only stillness
12:58Then the fire rose
13:00And the guards outside began clawing at their throats
13:02One by one
13:03They dropped
13:04Blood pouring from their mouths
13:06Their eyes
13:07Their noses
13:08Dead before they hit the ground
13:10I stepped out through the flames
13:12With shade coiled in my arms
13:13At my feet
13:15The insects on the ground shifted and swarmed
13:17Guiding me
13:18So I ran
13:19Through the smoke
13:20Through the heat
13:21Following their path
13:23Until I slammed straight into someone's chest
13:25I looked up at the man I had crashed into
13:27It was Lucian
13:28There was still fear in my eyes
13:30Real enough to be seen
13:32My lashes were wet
13:33My tears trembled there
13:35But I would not let them fall
13:37Lucian pulled me into his arms at once
13:39Held me tight
13:40Then he looked past me
13:41Toward the blaze raging in the distance
13:44Who dared set a fire inside my palace
13:47Find out
13:48Now
13:49I stayed curled against his chest
13:51And said nothing
13:52Because he was not a fool
13:53He knew exactly who had done it
13:55This outrage
13:56This fury
13:57This order to investigate
13:59It was a performance
14:01Nothing more
14:02Selene had been with him since youth
14:04Their bond ran deep
14:05And behind her stood House Varen
14:07With soldiers
14:08Power
14:09And years of service to the throne
14:11Why would an emperor truly punish a woman like that
14:14For the sake of a dancer he had only just taken notice of
14:17He wouldn't
14:17Not yet
14:18So I leaned into him harder
14:20And made myself small in his arms
14:22Your majesty
14:24I'm frightened
14:27Lucian really had been drinking
14:28His face was faintly flushed
14:30His breath carried the warmth of wine
14:32And I was exactly the kind of woman
14:34A drunken man should never hold too close
14:36I had been born with a body that unraveled restraint
14:39And with the broodling still working inside him
14:41The desire in his eyes began to change
14:44Slowly
14:45Then all at once
14:46It caught fire
14:47Without another word
14:49He swept me up into his arms
14:50And carried me back to his private chambers
14:52I rested against him
14:54And said nothing
14:55But in my mind
14:57I was already waiting for the next move
14:59Because once word reached Selene
15:01That I had escaped the fire
15:02And been carried into Lucian's bedchamber
15:05She would never let it pass quietly
15:07I knew her too well
15:08And I was right
15:09I had not been in his chambers long
15:11Before Selene's chief eunuch dropped to his knees outside
15:14Your majesty
15:16High consort Selene is unwell
15:19She's in distress
15:20She says she wants to see you at once
15:22By then
15:23I was dressed in gauze so sheer
15:25It hit almost nothing
15:26I looked at Lucian through half-lidded eyes
15:29And asked in a soft voice
15:30Your majesty
15:32Are you going to high consort Selene tonight?
15:35His gaze was no longer clear
15:36No longer steady
15:38He stared at me like a man already half-lost
15:40With you here beside me
15:41Why would I think of anyone else?
15:43I covered my mouth
15:44And let out a quiet laugh
15:46There were only two of us in the chamber
15:48Just him
15:49And me
15:50Lucian kept staring at me
15:52Spellbound
15:53His breath was hot against my throat
15:55Damp and heavy with wine
15:56Then
15:57Without warning
15:58His body gave in
16:00And he sank in to sleep
16:01On his forehead
16:02A small fleshy pink broodling
16:04Was still wriggling deeper beneath the skin
16:06I pushed him gently back onto the bed
16:08And pulled the covers over him
16:10Careful
16:11Almost tender
16:13I've woven you a beautiful dream
16:15Enjoy it
16:16Then I slid the hairpin from my hair
16:18And drove the tip into my fingertip
16:20A bright bead of blood welled up at once
16:22I let some of it stain a handkerchief
16:24Every drop that remained
16:26I fed to Lucian
16:27None of this poisoned blood should go to waste
16:29Not when I made it with my own body
16:31Not when even a harmless dose
16:33Taken once
16:34Could become a death sentence over time
16:36A little tonight would do nothing
16:38A little tomorrow would do nothing
16:40But enough of it
16:41Day after day
16:42And it would kill him
16:43Slowly
16:45Quietly
16:46Perfectly
16:46And the cure?
16:48There was only one person in this world who could give it
16:50Me
16:51The moon had crossed high overhead by then
16:53Silver light spilled through the window
16:55And spread across the floor
16:56I sat there
16:58And counted the time
16:59Waiting for Selene to make her move
17:01Then I heard it
17:02A faint skittering at the window
17:04I turned
17:05A spider no bigger than a fingernail crouched on the ledge
17:08One of many
17:09One of the countless little eyes
17:11I had scattered throughout the palace
17:12So she was coming
17:14I rose at once
17:15Smoothed out my robe
17:17And walked toward the door
17:18Selene was already waiting outside the hall
17:21Not alone
17:22Behind her stood a wall of eunuchs and palace mates
17:24Packed so tightly it barely looked like a midnight visit at all
17:27This was not a jealous woman coming
17:29To reclaim a drunken emperor
17:31This looked like a siege
17:33I stepped out to meet her
17:34And deliberately swept my hair to one side
17:36Bearing the fresh red marks along my neck
17:39Moonlight washed over the stone steps
17:41I stood above her
17:42Looked down
17:43And smiled
17:44Softly
17:45His majesty is asleep
17:48You should come back tomorrow
17:49The look she gave me was pure venom
17:52Her face twisted
17:53Whore
17:55I'll kill you
17:56I let my gaze drop to her stomach
17:58Then I spoke very gently
17:59Your grace
18:02Careful
18:04You might upset the baby
18:06That stopped her cold
18:07For one full second
18:09Selene forgot how to breathe
18:11Lucien had once promised her this
18:13Bear him the first prince
18:14And he would give her the empress's crown
18:16But five years had passed
18:18Five years of marriage
18:19Five years of waiting
18:21And her womb had stayed empty
18:23Every remedy had been tried
18:24Every physician
18:26Every secret healer dragged in from the streets
18:28And still
18:29Nothing
18:30No child
18:31No heir
18:32No crown
18:33If she could not produce the emperor's first son soon
18:35The throne beside him would never be hers
18:38Seize her
18:40Drag this bitch away
18:42And beat her to death
18:44Because I had done the one thing no one else dared do
18:47I had named the wound she lived with
18:49Named it in front of everyone
18:50And a woman like Selene
18:52Could forgive almost anything
18:54Except humiliation
18:55The eunuchs lunged for me
18:57I shook them off before they could get a proper hold
18:59Then I looked straight at her
19:01And said
19:02Your grace don't be so hasty
19:04Why not summon the imperial physicians
19:06I let the silence stretch
19:07Then I gave her the knife
19:09One more thing
19:10If there really is a child to protect
19:12I'm the only one who can keep it alive
19:14Selene was reclining in a side chamber
19:16Half draped across a cushioned chaise
19:18While several imperial physicians knelt before her
19:21She rested her head against one hand
19:23Her eyes were heavy with exhaustion
19:25When she spoke
19:26Impatience sharpened every word
19:28Well am I pregnant or not?
19:30The physicians lowered themselves even further
19:33Your grace
19:34Your pulse clearly indicates pregnancy
19:38For a moment
19:39Selene did not move
19:40Then she rose too quickly from the chaise
19:42All disbelief gone from her face
19:44There were tears in her eyes
19:46Actual tears
19:47Truly
19:48Her voice trembled when she said it
19:50Careful
19:52Fragile
19:52As if she were afraid even hope might hear her
19:54And disappear
19:55I watched her quietly
19:57And thought
19:58So this is what she looks like
20:00This woman who always stood above everyone else
20:02Who moved through the palace
20:04As if the world owed her obedience
20:05Even she could become this cautious
20:07This desperate
20:09Then she looked at me
20:10Remembering what I had said outside
20:12And asked the question she wanted answered most
20:15Is the child stable?
20:17One physician bowed low and replied at once
20:19From the pulse alone
20:20There is no sign of danger
20:23That made her smile
20:24But the moment her eyes shifted back to me
20:26The smile turned murderous
20:28I'm carrying an air now
20:30I should avoid bloodshed
20:31But you offend my eyes
20:33And I would sleep better if you were dead
20:38With one command
20:39The eunuchs at her side rushed forward
20:41And seized my arms hard enough to bruise
20:44They started dragging me away
20:45I moved one fingertip
20:47That was all
20:48And Selene suddenly clutched her stomach
20:50And cried out in pain
20:52The room froze
20:53The physicians lunged forward at once
20:55And took her pulse again
20:56This time
20:57Their faces changed
20:59One after another
21:00Their brows nodded
21:02Then all of them dropped to their knees
21:03Your grace spare us
21:05These are signs of miscarriage
21:07That was when panic finally broke through
21:09Selene's face drained white
21:11She had waited years for this child
21:13Years
21:14And she had only just heard the words she wanted most
21:16Pregnant
21:17How could she be losing it already?
21:19How?
21:20At last
21:21She looked at me
21:22And through clenched teeth
21:24She said two words
21:27You come here
21:29If you cannot save this child
21:31I will wipe out your entire bloodline
21:35I looked at her twisted, vicious face
21:37And dug my nails hard into my palm
21:39My entire bloodline?
21:41She really had no idea
21:43My people were already dead
21:44Slaughtered
21:45Every last one of them
21:47I was the only one who crawled back out of that hell alive
21:50The only one left
21:51To come for her
21:52I stepped forward
21:53And inserted a few needles into her body
21:56Carefully
21:57One point
21:58Then another
21:59Selene's breathing began to slow
22:01The strain in her face eased little by little
22:03When the physicians checked her pulse again
22:05They found it calm
22:06Steady
22:07The child was safe
22:09At least
22:10That was what they believed
22:11The truth?
22:12I knew nothing about medicine
22:14And Selene was not pregnant
22:15Not at all
22:17That night she came to burn me alive
22:19I had planted a brute curse inside her
22:21Quietly
22:22Without her noticing
22:23That broodling could mimic the pulse of pregnancy perfectly
22:26It could fool physicians
22:27Fool the court
22:29Fool even the mother carrying it
22:31In the later stages
22:32It would do even more
22:33Make her swear she could feel a child turning inside her
22:36While she smiled and dreamed of an heir
22:38The thing inside her would be feeding
22:40Draining her
22:41Taking what it needed from her body
22:43Day and night
22:44All inÃcioFF
22:45I knew it
22:46Anita
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