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