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