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