- 5 days ago
The Last Pint Of Sunlight
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Short filmTranscript
00:00300 years ago, at my wedding to Julian, he attacked me, desperate for the drop of precious
00:06progenitor blood in my veins. He left me for dead and slaughtered my entire clan. As I lay dying,
00:14I was found by the vampire prince, Cassius. He took me home. He cherished me. My weakness,
00:21my lost power, none of it mattered. He even threw us a lavish wedding. Even though it weakened him,
00:27he fed me his own blood every day when I became pregnant. Against all odds, I thought he was my
00:34salvation. Until today, when I overheard him talking to his underling. The parasite is nearly
00:40whole. 300 years of waiting are finally over. Soon, Lilith will be reborn in her womb,
00:47and I can finally give her the perfect, immortal body she deserves.
00:53And Lady Selina? She's just the vessel. Lilith saved me. I owe her everything. Once Lilith is born,
01:04I'll drain every last drop of ancient blood from Selina's body and give Lilith true immortality.
01:10A chill crept up from my feet and settled deep in my heart. 300 years of a loving marriage,
01:17all of it an elaborate lie. History was repeating itself. I had fallen into a man's trap. Again.
01:25Isn't that a bit cruel, my lord? After all, she's been the prince's wife for three centuries.
01:30That title was always meant for Lilith. I've let her enjoy it for 300 years. Besides,
01:36if I hadn't found her, she would have died at Julian's hands, wouldn't she?
01:40What if she finds out?
01:41She won't. She's too in love with me. Even if she suspects something, she won't dare believe it.
01:48And now, she's addicted to my blood and the elixirs. She can't survive without them.
01:54I covered my mouth and stumbled back to my room, shaking.
01:59My handmaiden Clara brought in two goblets. One held Cassius's blood. The other,
02:05the special elixir he'd found for me, said to protect the fetus and help it grow strong.
02:10My lady, the prince is so good to you. He specifically told me to watch you drink them
02:15every day. Good to me? I touched my swollen belly and couldn't help but let out a cold laugh.
02:22He had been good to me. Anyone who saw us would have sworn he was madly in love.
02:28Later, when I mourned for my clan, he spared no expense, building me a perfect replica of the
02:34castle I grew up in. He kissed my forehead back then.
02:39I would do anything to see you happy.
02:41That was why I fell for him. It's why I was willing to risk everything for him.
02:46Even the near impossible danger of a vampire pregnancy. But now I see it. It wasn't me
02:52he cherished. It was my body. The vessel. No wonder he was moved to tears when I became
02:58pregnant. No wonder this child, which should have taken two centuries to term, was nearly
03:04due after only one. I grabbed the goblet of blood and drained it in one go. As for the
03:09other, I poured it onto the floor.
03:11My lady, what are you... Shh. Trust me. Don't say a word. My belly clenched again as the thing
03:19inside me moved. More violently this time. I know now, this wasn't my child. It was Lilith's soul.
03:25Can't wait to get out? Too bad. Your little plan is about to go up in smoke.
03:32I went to my vanity and pulled an old map from the back of a drawer. I found it. The
03:38Sunstone
03:38Sanctuary. A forbidden place, rumored to be filled with deadly, sacred light. It was also
03:45the only place that could purify a corrupt soul. If I could survive its holy fire, I could kill
03:51the parasite in my womb for good. I would rather die than be a pawn in Cassius' game. I stared
03:58at my reflection. A fire of vengeance burning in my eyes. I swore an oath. If I survived the
04:04holy fire, I would burn the crimson court to ash. And I would make Cassius pay a price he
04:12would never forget for all eternity.
04:22I couldn't let it grow unchecked. I had to suppress it. I desperately called upon what little remained
04:28of my ancient bloodline's power, trying to cage the parasite in my womb. It was a gift from Cassius
04:39for our hundredth wedding anniversary. I wrote this melody for you. So whenever you hear it,
04:45you'll remember. The beautiful moment we first met. I had been moved to tears. How ironic.
04:56Selina! I heard you cry out. What happened?
05:00It's nothing. Just the baby kicking a little hard. You know, I was just thinking. The diamonds
05:05on this box are lovely. Why don't we have them reset into a new piece of jewelry? My tastes
05:10have changed a bit since becoming pregnant.
05:12No! I want- I want to save this box for-
05:17Save it for who?
05:18For- for our- our child. It has sentimental value.
05:23He was lying. That's not what he was about to say. A tide of fury washed over me, and I
05:28lost all
05:28control. With all my might, I threw the music box toward the fireplace.
05:33No!
05:34The fire engulfed his hand, the smell of burning flesh filling the air. But he seemed to feel no pain,
05:41his only concern to protect the box. When he pulled it from the fire, one corner was charred,
05:46revealing the inscription inside. To Lilith, my eternal beloved.
05:53The music box was never for me. The token of love I had cherished for 300 years was a gift
06:00for
06:00another woman. Hate and humiliation consumed me. I swept all the jewelry Cassius had ever given me
06:07off the vanity and onto the floor. This was all for her, wasn't it? I was just a stand-in.
06:15A vessel fell!
06:18Selene, what are you doing? Calm down!
06:21Just kept throwing his so-called mementos into the fire.
06:25Enough!
06:26Keep this up, and I'll throw you in the silver cells myself.
06:30I froze. The silver cells. Even a prince as powerful as him grew weakly. He wanted to lock me,
06:37his pregnant wife, in that place?
06:40Selene, listen to me. Stop this foolishness. I'll give you anything you want. New jewelry?
06:48I bit my lip, refusing to speak. I could only stare at the music box in his hand, my heart
06:55burning with
06:55pure hatred. He tried to soothe me, but I just closed my eyes, refusing to look at him. And the
07:03last shred of tenderness vanished from his face. Fine. Have it your way. His voice ice cold. He waved
07:13his hand. Take her away. The silver cells were in the castle's deepest dungeon, their walls forged
07:20from pure silver. For a vampire, it was hell on earth. The guard was a grim-faced bloodthrall.
07:28My lady, why must you provoke the master? Just then, a wave of powerful evil energy surged from
07:35within me. To my horror, I saw the guard's normal gaze turn vacant. Finally, I can finally control
07:44things out here. That wasn't the guard's voice. It was Lilith. Her soul was already strong enough to
07:50possess a human? He grabbed me and slammed me onto a rack covered in silver spikes.
08:05The Lilith controlled thrall hissed. Ah, what exquisite pain. You know, for the last hundred years in
08:14your womb, I've had to endure every moment of you and Cassius' intimacy. Now it's your turn to taste a
08:22little pain. You. You. You. Parasite. Parasite? The pain was so intense, I nearly blacked out.
08:34I'm just taking back what's mine. Cassius was always mine. If my own transformation hadn't failed,
08:42I would be the one sitting on the prince's throne. She used the thrall's hands to pick up a silver
08:48dagger, then slowly carved the word whore into the flesh of my other arm. A silver blade sizzled
08:56against my skin.
09:00Look at this beautiful wound. Listen to that lovely scream and the smell of burning flesh. So delightful.
09:10You should feel honored to give everything for my rebirth.
09:14My heart hammered against my ribs, threatening to stop at any moment. My vision blackened. My
09:21consciousness fading. Just as I was about to pass out, Cassius, in his chambers, suddenly woke from
09:28his sleep. Go to the silver cells and check on Selina. I've prepared her favorite ruby necklace. If she's
09:36ready to apologize, let her out. That thrall, also secretly under Lilith's control,
09:42bowed respectfully. Yes, master. He returned. Master, the lady is still throwing a tantrum.
09:50She refuses to see you and said some very unpleasant things. If she's not sorry,
09:58then let her rot down there until she comes to her senses. Meanwhile, in the silver cells,
10:05I had completely lost consciousness. Sensing her host's life force fading, Lilith was forced to stop the
10:12torture. She needed me alive, at least until the moment of her birth. A warm energy flowed from my
10:18wound, mending my damaged heart. She was feeding her own power back into me, just enough to keep my
10:23heart beating. Pain pulled me back to reality. I opened my eyes to find myself still tied to the rack.
10:29Awake? Good. That was just the appetizer. Now for the main course. A violent slam came from my belly,
10:38as if something was trying to tear its way out. Every impact was agony. Feel that? That's for the
10:45hundred years you've restrained and suppressed me. Now I'm going to make you pay back. A hundred times over.
10:52For every ounce of Cassius' affection you enjoyed. Every kiss. Every sweet word. They were all meant for me!
11:03A horrific scream ripped from my throat, echoing through the silver cells.
11:09Cassius felt a phantom pain and shot upright in bed.
11:12Master, what's wrong? I… I thought I heard something. Never mind,
11:17probably a nightmare. Selina is stubborn. Maybe then she'll learn not to be so much trouble.
11:22He lay back down and was soon fast asleep. But I remained in the silver cells,
11:27enduring inhuman torture every second and eternity. Just when I thought I would die there,
11:32a familiar figure appeared silently outside the cell door. Clara,
11:36My lady? Using an invisibility spell to slip past the guards. My lady, what… what happened?
11:45I couldn't speak. This is the last of the potent blood. Using my last ounce of strength,
11:53I took the vial and drank it all. It would only last a few hours, but it would be enough.
11:59A few hours.
12:01Enough to get to the Sunstone Sanctuary. Enough to kill the disgusting parasite in my womb.
12:08My lady, where are you going? To the place where this all ends. Clara, if I don't make it back,
12:16you must live. Get away from this place. Far away. I vanished from the silver-laced cell.
12:24Master! Master! Something happened! Huh? What is all this commotion? The lady, she's gone. The silver
12:33cell is empty. Impossible. Where would she go without me? In this entire world of our kind,
12:40she has nowhere to run, no one to protect her. She's probably just sulking in a corner somewhere.
12:45But Master, we've looked everywhere. There's not even a trace of her scent.
12:50What did you say? You've looked everywhere? Yes, from the dungeons to the highest tower. Every
12:55single corner. Tear this place apart if you have to! Find her! Soon the entire Crimson Court was in
13:04an uproar. After a fruitless search, a thought struck Cassius. He strode to a jewelry box and pulled
13:10out a necklace set with a blood-red gem. It was his wedding gift to me, infused with a drop
13:16of his own
13:16blood, allowing him to sense the wearer's location, closing his eyes to focus.
13:22The North West. She's heading for the Hallowed Temple. He activated the necklace's link.
13:27Selina! What game are you playing? Stop this nonsense at once!
13:32Come back now, and I will forgive you. At that moment, I was struggling through a
13:37forest of thorns when the necklace on my chest grew hot, and Cassius' angry voice echoed from it.
13:44What? Forgive me? What right did he have to forgive me?
13:47It glinted once in the moonlight, then was swallowed by the darkness.
13:51Cassius felt the connection severe. The color drained from his face.
13:56Selina, what are you doing?
13:58I had already reached the outskirts of the palace.
14:02This was it. The legendary, hallowed temple of light.
14:14So this wasn't how I failed. It was as terrible as they said. I gritted my teeth. A vampire's healing
14:22is strong,
14:22and the burns began to mend. Lilith, within me, let out a terrified scream.
14:28No! You're insane! You'll kill us both!
14:33Then we'll die together. I sneered, forcing myself forward. A second beam of light struck, more powerful
14:40than the first. I coughed up blood and fell to my knees, but I could feel the light had also
14:46seared the
14:46parasite within me. Her soul was weakening under the assault. It's working!
14:51Just then, a shadow blurred past. Selina!
14:55A third beam of holy light was gathering in the sky, more terrifying than the last two combined.
15:02As it was about to fall, Cassius dove in front of me, taking half the blast with his own body.
15:08He
15:08spat a mouthful of black blood and crashed to the ground, but the other half still hit me. Already
15:14exhausted, I couldn't take any more. I collapsed. An unimaginable pain tore through my abdomen, like
15:21something was ripping me apart from the inside, but I managed a weak smile.
15:29Selina, why? Why would you hurt yourself like this?
15:35Because I'd rather die than be your vessel. Shock and guilt flashed in his eyes.
15:42I don't know what you're talking about. I can explain. But before he could touch me, Lilith clawed
15:48her way into the world. With the sound of tearing flesh, Lilith emerged from my body. Blood poured
15:54from the wound. She scrambled toward Cassius, blind to her own monstrous form. The holy light and
16:01premature birth had made her a twisted hybrid, half vampire, half human. She had a vampire's fangs,
16:07but her body was frail and skeletal, a pale wisp of a thing. Cassius, help me.
16:15Horror and disgust warred on Cassius's face. Lilith's pleas became more desperate.
16:21Cassius, she tried to kill me. She brought me to this awful place to burn me with holy light. If
16:28you
16:28hadn't come, I would have never seen you again. Selina, for centuries I have treated you well.
16:34All I asked was to use your body to bring Lilith back. How could you be so cruel?
16:41Cruel? My only regret is that I didn't kill her completely!
16:45Silence!
16:49Cassius, I feel like I'm fading. I need more power to hold this form. Her ancient bloodline, if I had
16:56it,
16:56I could become a true vampire. You promised me.
17:01Fine. I will get it for you. He walked toward me, a flicker of conflict in his eyes that quickly
17:07turned to cold murder. Three hundred years. I was good to you. Now, it's time for you to serve your
17:16final purpose. My heart filled with despair. Was this how it ended? Killed by the man who betrayed me?
17:22I won't let it. I won't! Stop. A deep voice, resonating with power, cuts through the ink.
17:28In the next instant, Cassius was thrown aside, the silver blade clattering to the ground.
17:34I opened my eyes to see a tall figure standing over me. He had hair as black as ink and
17:39deep
17:40violet eyes. He radiated an ancient and immense power. Who are you? The man ignored him, turning to
17:48look at me. When I saw his face, a strange sense of familiarity washed over me. Don't be afraid.
17:54You're safe now. He bent down and lifted me into his arms. Don't you dare! Take her!
18:00With just a look, Cassius, a prince of his own court, was frozen in place, bound by an unseen force.
18:07A mere descendant, dares to act so brazenly in my presence. Try that again,
18:12and I will wipe your crimson court from existence.
18:18To my astonishment, not only were my wounds healed, but even the gash in my stomach had
18:23vanished without a scar. And memories, long lost memories, were flooding in. I were flooding my mind.
18:30The man who saved me was Dorian, a powerful progenitor vampire. It was at my 200th birthday
18:36celebration. I had wandered off and stumbled upon his ancient castle. He didn't turn me away. Instead,
18:42he welcomed me with a gentle kindness. We spent a blissful time together. I sometimes
18:47caught a complex, loving look in his eyes, but I was already engaged. We both understood and never
18:53crossed that line. Before he entered one of his long slumbers, he gave me a drop of his own
18:58progenitor blood as a coming-of-age gift. To protect me, I never imagined that very gift would bring about
19:05my ruin. You're awake. The familiar voice came from the doorway. Dorian entered, holding a crystal
19:10goblet filled with blood that smelled intoxicatingly sweet.
19:16My own heart's blood. It will help you recover your strength.
19:23You... how did you find me?
19:25Because I love you. The moment I awoke, I went to find you. I never expected to see you.
19:32You had a fiancé then, and I was about to fall into slumber.
19:37I couldn't give you any promises. But now, Selina, please give me a chance.
19:44Let me take care of you. Darian?
19:50Right now, all I want is revenge. Julian stole my bloodline and slaughtered my clan. Cassius used
19:57and deceived me for 300 years. I will make them pay. I will help you. Your enemies are my enemies.
20:05Over the next seven days, under Dorian's care, my strength returned with incredible speed.
20:11Just as I was preparing to hunt down Julian, an unexpected visitor arrived.
20:17Selina, my love, I finally found you.
20:24These past years, I have lived every day in repentance.
20:28I've missed you so much. I don't know what came over me back then. To have hurt you so.
20:39Please, forgive me. Come back to me. These 300 years without you have been a living hell.
20:46If my memories hadn't returned, I might have actually been moved by his performance.
20:51But now, I could see right through it. To the greed and calculation in his eyes. His body was
20:58rejecting my progenitor blood. He couldn't control its power. That was the only reason he had come
21:04looking for me. Julian, are you done with your act? The pain of my stolen blood. The murder of my
21:15entire
21:16family. Today, you will pay for it all. Dorian handed me a dagger, forged of black obsidian.
21:24It was forged from the bones of an ancient demon. It's poison to our kind. Use it. End this.
21:34When Julian saw the dagger in my hand, his veneer of remorse shattered. If you won't do this the easy
21:40way, then don't blame me for what comes next. You think a little restored power makes you a match for
21:48me? I am an ancient, thousands of years old. In a flash, his hand shot toward my throat.
22:03That was just the beginning. The agony I felt when you tore my blood from me.
22:10I am going to return it to you, tenfold. Julian dodged clumsily, horrified to find that,
22:19despite his superior age, he was losing ground.
22:27No! This is impossible! I consumed your progenitor blood. My power should be far greater than yours!
22:45A shame. It never truly belonged to you.
22:51Black, corrupted blood gushed out. At the same time, the blood in my own veins began to stir.
23:01He felt something inside him shift, fighting to escape. What are you doing?
23:15It was my progenitor blood, stolen 300 years ago.
23:23It was my progenitor blood. It was my progenitor blood. It was my progenitor.
23:30An incredible surge of power exploded within me. So this is the true power of a progenitor.
23:37Julian, refusing to give up, lunged one last time. Dorian simply waved a hand and he was sent flying
23:45backward. You overestimate yourself. Selina, allow me to dispose of him for you. You needn't dirty your hands.
23:56I didn't object. Julian was dragged away and hurled into the chasm behind the castle. A bottomless,
24:03dark abyss. Let him enjoy an eternity of solitude and hunger down there.
24:10Vengeance was mine, but the triumph I'd expected felt hollow. Instead, thinking of my fallen family,
24:18a wave of profound grief washed over me. Father, mother, my brothers and sisters. They were never coming back.
24:27Selina.
24:31I know. Even revenge can't fill the void of losing the ones you love.
24:37They're all gone. All of them. The grief I'd suppressed for 300 years, finally breaking free.
24:45I'm the last one. No, you're not alone. From now on, I will always be with you. For a hundred
24:54years,
24:55a thousand, for all of eternity. I will never leave you. His words were like warmth seeping into a frozen
25:02heart. But having been betrayed twice, I couldn't give my trust away so easily. I leaned against him,
25:09lost in thought. This time, can I believe him?
25:14The next evening, I returned to the ruins of my family's estate. The once grand castle of the Dracul
25:21clan was now just a pile of rubble, overgrown with thorns and weeds. I knelt in the center of the
25:28ruins,
25:28and performed the ancient rite of mourning. Father, mother, my kinsman, I have avenged you.
25:41Julian has paid for his crimes. The night wind moaned through the wreckage, as if the souls of my
25:48family were answering me. The ritual ended late into the night. I dragged my weary body back to
25:55Dorian's castle. But that night, the nightmares returned. In my dreams, I was back in that night
26:02of blood 300 years ago, surrounded our home. The sky was red with fire, the ground slick with blood.
26:11I watched as a silver dagger pierced my father's chest, as my mother died before my arms, as my people
26:19fell,
26:19one by one. No, please! Let them go, please!
26:27But it was useless. The blood stained everything. My lady, wake up!
26:37Clara was looking at me with concern. Clara? How are you here? I thought I managed to escape.
26:49I've been looking for you for so long, my lady. I studied her, but something felt wrong. The face and
26:56voice were the same, but her expression, something was missing. Clara, did you happen to bring my
27:03favorite emerald ring with you? A flicker of panic crossed Clara's face. My lady, I... I left in such
27:10a hurry, I forgot it. I'm so sorry. Her answer sent alarm bells ringing in my head. I never owned
27:17an emerald ring.
27:21I see. Come here, Clara. Let me see if you were hurt.
27:31The moment the silver hit, Clara shrieked, her features twisting and melting.
27:39You damned bitch! How did you know?! Because I've never owned an emerald ring.
27:47Clara was with me for centuries. She would have known that.
27:50Hahaha! So clever! Too bad your loyal little servant is already dead!
27:56What did you say?
27:59That traitor? I tortured her to death in the silver cells for letting you escape.
28:05She was still whispering about protecting you right before she died. Pathetic.
28:10Clara. The last of my people. Dead? Because she tried to save me?
28:16Rage and grief erupted inside me like a volcano. I lunged forward and wrapped my hands around Lilith's
28:22throat. For the pain you caused me in that dungeon. And for Clara's life. You will repay every drop of
28:30pain. And Clara's life. In blood! Lilith's face began to turn purple. She clawed at my wrists,
28:36but my grip was like iron. Wait! You hurt me. And Cassius will never forgive you.
28:48Cassius?
28:52Cassius. Right now, I have more than enough power to kill you both. After the mourning ritual,
28:58the souls of my ancestors had found peace, and their remaining power had flowed into me. The pure
29:04blood of the Dracul clan coursed through my veins, stronger than it had been 300 years ago. Just as I
29:11was about to snap her neck. Stop!