- 16 hours ago
Silver Blood Awakening
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🎥
Short filmTranscript
00:03My name is Alara, the lowest-ranking Omega in my pack.
00:08Every day, my task was to follow the other Omegas and pour a small cup of holy water
00:13mixed with liquid silver into the altar in the shadow abyss.
00:17At the center of the altar stood a hexagonal coffin.
00:20Sybil, the cruel Beta Overseer, spoke in a low, cold voice.
00:25That rebel on the altar dared to covet the throne.
00:29The king has ordered him to die in disgrace.
00:32Great moon goddess, who would dare betray a true alpha?
00:35Thou frightened the Omegas lined up, pouring cup after cup of the silver-tainted holy water into the grate.
00:42When it was my turn, my hand trembled.
00:45I tried to steal a glance at the coffin, but someone shoved me from behind,
00:50sending me crashing onto the stone floor.
00:52A burst of cruel laughter erupted around me.
00:55Sybil turned, her eyes cold as ice.
00:58She raised her silver-tipped whip and lashed it across my back.
01:02The whip burned, and the sheer force of the impact threw me forward.
01:06Get up, you filthy degenerate, and get back to work.
01:10No one helped me.
01:11In their eyes, I was tainted.
01:13A cursed Omega who had willingly disgraced herself after being attacked by a rogue deserter.
01:19They said misfortune ran in my blood.
01:22I swallowed the pain, picked up my cup, and walked toward the altar with the last splash of holy water.
01:28The moment I bent down to pour it, I heard a faint, frantic scratching sound from inside the coffin.
01:34My body went completely rigid.
01:37The hand holding the cup froze in midair.
01:40I heard my own voice, barely a whisper, trembling in the gloom.
01:45Is the person inside this coffin still alive?
01:53Sybil paused, then burst into a harsh laugh.
01:56The others immediately followed suit, their snickers gradually turning into open mockery.
02:02Sybil stopped laughing, walked over, and bent down to look me dead in the eye.
02:08Alive.
02:09Even if he is, what difference does it make?
02:12Are you pitying him?
02:13She pointed a gnarled finger toward the altar.
02:16That lid is sealed with three pure silver nails.
02:21Do you think they drove them in out of mercy?
02:24Sybil straightened up, her expression turning deadly serious.
02:28A rebel is imprisoned in this coffin, Alara.
02:31I warn you.
02:34If you ask one more question, I'll nail you in there with him.
02:38I lowered my head, saying nothing.
02:40But that sound remained trapped in my mind.
02:42That night, I tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep.
02:46The sound in my head nails scraping against wood echoed again and again.
02:51I listened carefully.
02:52Sybil was already sound asleep, her heavy snoring filling the room.
02:56The other Omegas in the barracks were also fast asleep.
03:00I quietly pulled back the covers, stepped barefoot onto the cold stone floor, and tiptoed out the door.
03:07Gathering every ounce of my courage, I slipped back toward the altar.
03:14Every hair on my body stood on end.
03:16Forcing myself to be brave, I whispered across the altar.
03:21Is anyone there?
03:23Are you still alive?
03:25My voice drifted into the dark night, met only by silence.
03:29I called out twice more, my voice rising slightly.
03:33Can you hear me?
03:35I am an Omega from the Shadow Abyss.
03:38My name is Alara.
03:40There was still no sound from inside the coffin.
03:42I was just about to give up.
03:44Thinking that perhaps the scratching sound had been a trick of my mind,
03:48or that the prisoner had finally succumbed to the silver.
03:51I prepared to stand up and walk back just then.
03:54Thump!
03:55A dull, heavy thud came from inside the coffin.
03:58My heart skipped a beat.
04:00He was alive.
04:01I ran back to the barracks as fast as my bare feet could carry me.
04:05I retrieved my specially made waterproof boots and a protective suit that covered my entire body.
04:11Just as I was about to leave, I saw a piece of raw meat hidden under my bed,
04:16leftovers I had smuggled from dinner.
04:18Without a second thought, I wrapped it in a handkerchief,
04:21tucked it inside my dress, and ran all the way back to the altar.
04:25After pulling on the boots and protective suit, I approached the coffin.
04:29Indeed, three massive silver nails were driven deep into the lid.
04:33I squatted down and felt around the perimeter of the coffin.
04:37Near one of the top corners, my fingers brushed against a tiny opening.
04:42I stood on tiptoe and pressed my eye against the gap, trying to peer into the darkness.
04:47The very instant I leaned in, a hand shot out from the gap and firmly gripped my wrist.
04:54I nearly screamed in terror, but then I noticed the glint of a gold ring on his finger.
05:00Only royalty could wear a ring of that design.
05:03Before I could pull away, the hand snatched the raw meat from my grip,
05:08pulling the food and the handkerchief back through the crack.
05:10I leaned against the altar, trembling violently.
05:14From the dark crevice came the faint, desperate sound of teeth tearing into raw flesh.
05:20I dared not linger any longer.
05:22I scrambled to my feet and ran.
05:25But the sudden movement split the whip wounds across my back.
05:29After only a few steps, I collapsed to the ground, crying out in agony.
05:34I clapped a hand over my mouth, muffling my sob into my palm.
05:39The wounds had torn completely open.
05:41Warm blood flowed down my spine, and waves of white-hot pain darkened my vision.
05:46Tears streamed uncontrollably down my face.
05:49I choked back another sob, but the tiny sound was sharp and clear in the quiet of the night.
05:54The chewing sound from the crack stopped.
05:57The person inside had heard me.
05:59I froze in place, staring at the dark crevice.
06:02After a long agonizing silence, I spoke softly.
06:06Who exactly are you?
06:08There was no answer.
06:09I tried again.
06:10Can you speak?
06:11Still, silence.
06:13I held onto the stone altar and slowly pushed myself up, inching back toward the coffin.
06:19It was so quiet that the only sound was my own shallow breathing.
06:23I lowered my head, trying to look into the crack once more.
06:27The next second, a terrifying, guttural growl erupted from within.
06:31It sounded like a wild beast, yet also like a man on the very brink of death.
06:37I gasped in fright, turned and fled.
06:43Gritting my teeth against the pain, I pushed myself back to my feet and ran all the way
06:48to the barracks.
06:50Daybreak was approaching, I had to hurry.
06:53The next day during my shift, I pretended my injuries were far worse than they were.
06:58Letting my body wobble, and spilling more than half of each cup of holy water.
07:03Sybil didn't suspect anything.
07:05She assumed I was simply terrified by the previous day's whipping and kept sneering at
07:10me, calling me a useless waste.
07:12At night, I wrapped the food I had saved from my meager dinner half, a raw steak and a handkerchief,
07:18and returned to the altar.
07:19The memory of that low growl had haunted me all day.
07:22But I had to try one more time.
07:24If there truly was a living prince trapped in that coffin, this piece of meat might help
07:30him survive another night.
07:32The moment I squatted down, sweat slicked my palms.
07:36The growl from the night before echoed in my mind.
07:38And I began to regret my own recklessness.
07:41Yet, I couldn't bring myself to him.
07:44Suddenly the hand stretched out from the crack again.
07:47I shuddered, almost falling backward, but I bit my lip hard and forced myself to stay.
07:53This time, he didn't grab my wrist.
07:56Instead, his fingers gripped my sleeve tightly.
08:00Then, a voice drifted out.
08:02Don't trust anyone.
08:04I dared not move.
08:06Don't tell anyone about me.
08:09His grip tightened slightly.
08:12Otherwise, you'll die before I do.
08:16I leaned closer, trying to see through the gap.
08:19At first, there was only pitch black.
08:22But as my eyes adjusted to the faint, filtered light, I saw it.
08:29I didn't sleep at all that night.
08:31Every time I closed my eyes, I saw those piercing golden eyes staring back at me.
08:36And the ring.
08:37The moonlight had been too dim to read the fine engravings on its surface.
08:40But I couldn't mistake its style.
08:42It wasn't something an ordinary noble would wear.
08:45It was the mark of the royal family.
08:47But if the man in the coffin was royal, why was he imprisoned beneath the church's altar?
08:52Why was he chained like a beast, forbidden from ever seeing the light of day?
08:57The more I thought about it, the colder I felt inside.
09:01The next morning, I carried the brass basin for cleaning sacred vessels to the backyard.
09:06An Omega housemate was squatting by the well, scrubbing laundry.
09:10Seeing my troubled expression, she asked casually,
09:14Didn't sleep well last night?
09:18I lowered my head, vigorously rubbing the edge of the brass basin,
09:23and spoke as if the thought had just occurred to me.
09:26Last night, I heard some of the guards talking about things beyond the shadow abyss.
09:32About the vampires.
09:34What are they really like?
09:36She frowned, quickly looking around to ensure no one was nearby.
09:40Then lowered her voice.
09:42You know, there are vampire territories just beyond our borders, right?
09:46I nodded.
09:48I heard stories when I was a child.
09:50She whispered.
09:51They drink blood, eat people, tear living wolves to shreds.
09:57Isn't the shadow abyss built to stop their invasion?
10:00The Omega let out a soft mocking scoff.
10:03Stop them.
10:04If we could truly stop them, the royal family wouldn't need to send sacrifices over.
10:10I abruptly looked up.
10:13She seemed to realize she had said too much.
10:17Her expression shifted, but she kept speaking in a hushed tone anyway.
10:21Every few years, the royal family sends one of their own to the border.
10:25Nominally, it's for peace talks.
10:27But in reality, everyone knows it's a sacrifice.
10:31My hand slipped, and the rim of the copper basin nearly struck the stone edge of the well.
10:39Sacrifice?
10:41They say that as long as those vampires receive their royal offerings on time,
10:45they won't cross the border.
10:47I stared at her, speechless.
10:50A sacrifice every few years?
10:55Every three to five years, the most recent one was three years ago.
10:59Three years ago, those words pierced my heart like a thorn.
11:03I stood frozen.
11:04That coffin had appeared under the altar exactly three years ago,
11:09the same year I had been forced into this grueling work.
11:12My throat tightened, and I tried to keep my voice casual.
11:17Three years ago, who did they send?
11:21The Omega hesitated, then whispered.
11:23I heard it was Prince Lucian, Serapis.
11:26My mind erupted into utter chaos.
11:29If Prince Lucian was sent to the border three years ago,
11:33then, who was the man trapped in the coffin?
11:38The man beneath the altar, wearing a royal ring, possessing rare golden eyes, secretly imprisoned,
11:45never seeing the light of day.
11:47There was no such thing as coincidence.
11:50Unless, the man in the coffin was his highness Lucian Serapis.
11:54The realization struck me so hard that the copper basin slipped from my hands,
11:59crashing to the stone floor with a deafening clang.
12:02The other girls by the well gassed and turned to stare.
12:07What are you daydreaming for?
12:10Sybil's voice boomed from behind me, before I could react.
12:13Her palms slammed across my face.
12:18You can't even hold a copper basin steady, you good-for-nothing.
12:23The blow sent my head snapping to the side, making my ears ring.
12:28I quickly scrambled to pick up the basin.
12:31Sybil stood over me, her face terrifyingly grim.
12:35You've been distracted these past two days.
12:38What exactly are you plotting?
12:41I murmured, keeping my head bowed.
12:44Nothing.
12:45She let out a cold laugh and kicked the basin out of my hands again.
12:50Nothing?
12:52Look at you.
12:53You're practically shaking.
12:55I clenched my hands, not daring to look up.
12:59But my mind was spinning, and as if possessed by madness, I whispered.
13:03I only...
13:05I heard there is someone locked in the coffin under the altar.
13:08The courtyard went deathly silent.
13:10The next second, Sybil grabbed me by the hair,
13:13violently forcing my head back.
13:15Her eyes cut into me like knives.
13:18Who gave you permission to ask about that place?
13:22My scalp burned with agonizing pain, but I forced myself not to struggle.
13:28I didn't ask.
13:30I only heard the others talking.
13:32It doesn't matter what you heard.
13:34Sybil sneered.
13:35You won't live long enough to tell anyone anyway, will you?
13:38My heart sank into my chest.
13:40No matter who the man in the coffin was, I couldn't let him die.
13:44For three consecutive nights, I saved my own food and water and brought it to him, but he refused to
13:50touch it.
13:50I asked him if he was Lucian Seraphis, but he remained silent.
13:55It was only when I whispered,
13:57I will get you out of here,
13:59that a faint, mocking scoff echoed from the gap.
14:02There was no joy in his laugh, only bitter amusement.
14:05You and Omega trampled underfoot by the entire pack.
14:09What could you possibly do to save me?
14:12But as he spoke, his hand reached out and took the beef and water from my grasp.
14:16I let out a small relieved smile.
14:19I will find a way.
14:21Just wait.
14:24The next afternoon, Sybil noticed the fluid levels in the altar had changed.
14:30How is it that the holy water has decreased by half a foot these past few days?
14:36My heart leapt into my throat.
14:38If the water rose any higher, it would submerge the crevice and drown him.
14:43Every night, I had been secretly scooping some of it out.
14:46The nearby servant girls exchanged uneasy, panicked glances, but no one dared to speak.
14:52Sybil stood up, her gaze sweeping across the line of Omegas, finally stopping on me.
14:59Elara.
15:00My legs began to tremble.
15:03Step forward.
15:06The girls beside me parted instantly, leaving me standing alone in the center of the room.
15:12Sybil walked over, scanning me from head to toe.
15:16Then, she smiled a cold, cruel curve of her lips that was far more terrifying than her rage.
15:22I heard that someone has been wandering around the altar late at night.
15:27My mind went entirely blank.
15:31Elara, do you know who that might be?
15:34Panic seized me, and I shook my head frantically.
15:37No, I don't know!
15:39Get down!
15:40Sybil barked.
15:41She whipped out her silver whip and lashed it across my back.
15:45I screamed in agony, collapsing heavily onto the stone floor.
15:52In front of everyone, I lay face down on the cold stone floor.
15:57I didn't beg for mercy, nor did I confess.
16:00Because I knew that if I admitted to knowing what was in that coffin, I would be dead before dawn.
16:06When she was finally done, Sybil flicked the blood off her whip and swept her cold gaze over the room.
16:12Whoever dares to give her medicine, speak to her, or even look at her, will be the next to feel
16:19this whip.
16:19For the rest of the night, the barracks were dead silent.
16:23No one dared to come near me.
16:25As the night grew deep and the others fell asleep, I forced myself up.
16:29Every movement brought a wave of blinding pain.
16:32But I dragged myself into my protective suit and boots.
16:37I hobbled to the altar, stood on tiptoe, and pushed a piece of raw beef through the gap.
16:43For a long time, there was no movement in the dark.
16:46Just as I thought he was going to ignore me, his hoarse voice drifted out of the crevice.
16:51You're injured.
16:53I smell blood.
16:54Alphas had sharp senses.
16:56He had picked up the scent instantly.
16:58I froze, subconsciously touching my back.
17:02My fingers came away sticky and damp.
17:05I forced a faint smile and whispered,
17:08I'm tough.
17:10I'll heal in a few days.
17:13A long silence followed.
17:15Then a soft, self-deprecating sneer echoed from the darkness.
17:21So weak, yet you dare to come back.
17:25You are a reckless little fool.
17:30I leaned against the cold coffin, not knowing how to reply.
17:34His voice murmured, carrying an innate powerful authority.
17:39You reckless little thing.
17:41Take this.
17:42From the dark crevice, something was slowly pushed out.
17:46I reached out and took it.
17:48Under the faint moonlight, I saw the glint of the royal ring.
17:51Take it to the moon temple.
17:53Find the lame herbalist there.
17:55Trade it for wound salve and cleansing balm.
17:58You want me to steal medicine?
18:00If the guards catch me with this, I'll be banished.
18:03I told you to trade it for yourself.
18:05To treat your own wounds.
18:07His tone was flat, as if he were speaking of a stranger.
18:10As for me, the holy water you pour daily has already seeped into this box.
18:16My skin has long since frested.
18:18It won't heal now.
18:19My fingers tightened around the heavy gold ring.
18:22Do you honestly think I would leave you to rot?
18:25His voice softened slightly, like the fading heat of dying embers.
18:29Go, and don't come back.
18:33The next evening, risking banishment, I snuck to the back door of the moon goddess temple.
18:40After waiting for nearly an hour, the limping herbalist finally emerged.
18:44I blocked his path and held up the royal ring.
18:47The moment he saw it, his face drained of color.
18:53Where did you get that?
18:55My heart pounding like a war drum.
18:58I said,
18:59That's none of your concern.
19:00I need your strongest healing salib and cleansing balm.
19:04The herbalist stared at me, his eyes wide with fear.
19:07Finally, he snatched the ring and stuffed it into his pocket.
19:13Tomorrow evening, meet me here.
19:16Do not get caught, or we will both be executed.
19:19The next night, I returned on time.
19:21The limping herbalist shoved a package wrapped in oiled leather into my hands.
19:26His fingers were shaking violently.
19:29This is treason.
19:30I've taken the ring.
19:32Now run, and never come back.
19:34He turned and fled, disappearing limping into the shadows.
19:41The medicine package was hidden in my palm.
19:44If I applied it to my own wounds now, I could cover the whip marks, pretend nothing had happened,
19:49and walk past the guards without raising suspicion.
19:53I had planned it all out.
19:54Apply the salve, hide the rest in the seams of my mattress,
19:58and remain quiet and compliant.
20:00But as I gripped the leather package, my knuckles turned white.
20:03If I used it, I would suffer less.
20:06But what about him?
20:08He would continue to rot in the dark, waiting for infection to take his life.
20:12I closed my eyes, steeled myself, and hid the medicine package in my waistband.
20:17The sound of heavy boots echoed outside the door.
20:21I straightened my spine, my heart hammering against my ribs.
20:25I had to face the guard's search head-on.
20:28Everyone line up.
20:30No one move.
20:33It was Kale, the newly appointed beta overseer.
20:37My chest tightened.
20:38I instinctively pushed the medicine deeper into my clothes.
20:42While Kale's back was turned I tried to slip along the wall toward the door.
20:47But after only two steps, my eyes caught the altar.
20:51My blood ran cold.
20:52The water level was almost flush with the coffin lid.
20:57You, stop right there.
20:59Kale's voice cut through the room.
21:02Me feet froze.
21:03Kyle walked over, her sharp eyes scanning me from head to toe.
21:08What are you hiding?
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