- 15 hours ago
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🎥
Short filmTranscript
00:00I'll protect her. We'll come back for you, Zayla. Just hold on.
00:04And with that, he shut the door.
00:06From outside, I could hear his low, soothing voice as he comforted me.
00:10He was so afraid I'd change my mind that he wouldn't waste his time.
00:14How laughable. Did he think everyone was as regretting as he was?
00:17He made a choice, then regretted it.
00:20And when things fell apart, he pushed the blame onto me.
00:23I would never be that kind of cow.
00:26Zayla, get on! Hurry!
00:31Last time, I was the one Oliver dragged onto the vehicle.
00:34He had held me tightly, shielding me from the bloody carnage outside.
00:38Whispering that he didn't want me to see the horrors of the apocalypse.
00:41He held me so tightly, it felt like he was trying to crush me into his chest.
00:47Now that I stood outside the door, I realized that his heart had been a turn toward me for the
00:52entire team.
00:54Last time, by the time the rescue team arrived, Lena had already been devoured by the zombies.
00:58Lena was my father's illegitimate daughter, my half-sister.
01:02I never liked her, but I wasn't heartless enough to know nothing about her death.
01:06While I was still struggling with grief, Oliver had already calmly gathered Lena's keepsake.
01:11The necklace.
01:13And why did that?
01:14Why did that happen?
01:15Of course not.
01:16Of course, I didn't mind.
01:18I hadn't realized that beneath Oliver's tender mask lurked an ocean, which one day, that he had been so desperate
01:25to marry me.
01:26Not out of love, but to torment, without restraint.
01:32Because of love, out of people in the world.
01:41And why did I deserve such punishment?
01:43Did I force Oliver to make that choice?
01:46No.
01:47He was the one who hadn't saved Lena.
01:50Her death had nothing to do with me.
01:52I was just another desperate survivor.
01:55Trying to get on that truck.
01:56No different from anyone else.
01:59I was simply unlucky.
02:00Standing in front of Lena that day, catching Oliver's attention.
02:03Well this time, I personally handed the spot to Lena.
02:07He'd better be grateful.
02:08And he'd better not regret it.
02:12As the rescue convoy disappeared into the distance,
02:15I scanned my surroundings.
02:18Searching for anything that could help me survive.
02:21I couldn't be sure
02:23that once Oliver and Lena were safe.
02:27He would still remember
02:28I was left behind.
02:31Trapped between life and death.
02:33In my past life.
02:35You have to go back!
02:36Right now!
02:37Zone A has completed its final evacuation.
02:40The Horde is closing in.
02:42We can't...
02:43Listen to me!
02:43I funded half of this operation.
02:45Without me, none of this would be running.
02:47Go back and find her!
02:48Bring her here!
02:48Do you understand?
02:49Now I had no reason to believe he would do the same for me this time.
02:53Perhaps while I was risking everything to get back to him,
02:57he was already playing the grieving Widowman,
03:00telling everyone I was dead.
03:02After all, Lena was his first love.
03:05His soulmate.
03:07The one he could never forget.
03:10The distant roars of the zombies grew louder.
03:13You can do this, Zayla.
03:15I said firmly to myself.
03:17I smeared plant sap over my skin,
03:19masking the scent of the living to delay detection.
03:21There was nothing to be afraid of.
03:23You've got this.
03:24The convoy, with its sheer number of people,
03:26would inevitably draw the Horde's attention.
03:29I couldn't risk following in their wake.
03:31But the good news was,
03:32I knew another way to the safe zone.
03:34The path was nearly abandoned,
03:35carved into the mountainside.
03:36It was steep, nearly vertical in some places,
03:39but that was why there were almost no zombies on it.
03:41They couldn't climb.
03:43I didn't have proper climbing gear.
03:47But survival left no room for hesitation.
03:50If I could just make it over the mountain,
03:53I would be safe.
03:55Halfway up,
03:57the trail narrowed
03:58until I had to press myself flat against the rock face.
04:02One glance downward was enough to make my stomach lurch.
04:06The footholds were vanishing.
04:10I had to cling to every outcrop.
04:15Every ridge.
04:17My palms stung,
04:19raw and swollen from the rough stone.
04:22Whenever my strength faltered,
04:24I could almost hear Oliver's voice from my past life,
04:27laced with disgust.
04:29Why was it you who survived, Zayla?
04:33You should have died.
04:36No!
04:38No!
04:43Just when I had conquered three fours of the climb,
04:46thunder rumbled through the sky.
04:49Rain.
04:51If it started now,
04:52the rock face would turn slip,
04:53impossible to climb,
04:55and without any insulation,
04:56I would freeze.
04:57I couldn't afford to slow down.
04:59Faster.
05:00Just a little faster.
05:01Then,
05:02finally,
05:03the destination came into view.
05:04Relief surged through me.
05:06But before I could take my next step,
05:07the sky split open.
05:09Rain held it down in a merciless torrent.
05:11The rock beneath my foot shifted.
05:14Suddenly,
05:14I was falling.
05:16Oh no!
05:17Why here?
05:18Just a few more steps.
05:20Then I would have made it.
05:22I curled my body,
05:23bracing for impact,
05:24praying I wouldn't shatter on the way down.
05:26Oliver would risk his life to retrieve Lena's keepsake,
05:29but he wouldn't even bother to collect my corpse.
05:35A sharp jolt.
05:37A powerful arm caught me.
05:40Stunned,
05:41I opened my eyes.
05:42A man's face,
05:43sharp,
05:44striking came into view.
05:45One arm held me with effortless strength against his chest,
05:48with effortless strength,
05:49while the other gripped a climbing anchor launcher,
05:52the tether embedded deep in the rock wall.
05:54With fluid precision,
05:55he adjusted the rope's length,
05:56guiding us steadily downward.
05:58I could feel the controlled power in his body,
06:00the effortless way he moved.
06:06The moment my feet touched ground,
06:08my legs gave out,
06:09and I sank to my knees,
06:12heart still hammering from the fall.
06:18I saved your life,
06:19but you don't have to kneel.
06:22You're the first to make it up.
06:23I'm impressed.
06:30Thanks for saving me.
06:33Need me to carry you?
06:34No.
06:35I'm Zayla.
06:37Who are you?
06:40He reached into his jacket pocket,
06:42and pulled out an ID,
06:44flashing it at me.
06:48Ace.
06:49Head of the rescue division.
06:54I remember you.
06:56I remember you.
06:56You didn't board the convoy.
07:00When I went back for you,
07:01you were gone.
07:04I thought you were dead.
07:06So,
07:07this makes our second meeting.
07:09I don't usually like seeing the same person too often.
07:12Usually means they're the kind of unlucky person
07:13who keeps getting themselves into trouble.
07:15But you're different.
07:16You always surprise me.
07:18His lips quirked slightly.
07:20Something inside me stuttered.
07:22I glanced at him,
07:23trying to steady my pulse.
07:25I couldn't tell whether my heart was still racing
07:27because of the near-death experience,
07:29or because of him.
07:30No one had ever used the word surprise to describe me.
07:34My husband in my past life,
07:35Oliver,
07:36would always look irritated the moment he saw me,
07:38as if he were a stick of dynamite
07:40and I was the match poised to ignite him.
07:42One night,
07:43he came home drunk,
07:44reeking of alcohol.
07:46Worried he would feel terrible the next morning.
07:49I used the rare honey I had been saving
07:51to help sober him up.
07:55But he shoved me away without a second thought.
07:57The glass of honey water shattered against the floor.
08:00I fell hard.
08:01Shards of glass piercing my skin,
08:03carving countless wounds into my flesh.
08:05Blood pooled beneath me.
08:06I groaned in pain,
08:07but Oliver just crossed his arms and watched,
08:09cold and satisfied.
08:10Does it hurt?
08:12He asked,
08:13his voice completely devoid of sympathy.
08:16But no matter how much pain you're in,
08:19it's not even a fraction of what Lena felt when she died.
08:22I stared up at him,
08:24stunned,
08:25my heart aching far worse than my torn skin.
08:27When our eyes met,
08:29he didn't flinch.
08:31Instead,
08:31he smeared.
08:33Slowly,
08:34I pushed myself off the ground,
08:35standing in silence before saying,
08:37But Lena was killed by zombies,
08:40not me.
08:41And it was you who pulled me into that truck,
08:43not me.
08:45And yet,
08:46all you do is blame me.
08:48Don't you think that's unfair?
08:50No.
08:51This is your fault.
08:53If you hadn't said you love me,
08:55I never would have been forced into this marriage.
08:58The alcohol was wearing off by then.
09:01Oliver's accusations came quick and precise,
09:03like a seasoned debater delivering a final, decisive blow.
09:07I let out a bitter laugh.
09:10Forced?
09:11Oliver, you always act like you have no choice.
09:14Are you incapable of saying no?
09:16You didn't have the strength to kill all the zombies,
09:20nor the courage to refuse my family's power.
09:22So instead,
09:24you turn your blade on me,
09:25your wife.
09:26If there were a competition for cowardness,
09:28you'd win first place.
09:29I staggered outside,
09:30to find a healer.
09:31Behind me,
09:32I heard the sound of Oliver smashing things in rage.
09:35From that on,
09:36our relationship froze over completely.
09:38He began treating me as his sworn enemy,
09:40and I no longer wasted a shred of warmth on him.
09:43Yet now,
09:44something even Oliver had never done for me.
09:46A stranger had.
09:48Ace worried if I had the strength to keep going.
09:50He worried if I was cold.
09:52Ace was strong,
09:53but not cruel.
09:55It had been so long since I'd felt the warmth of someone's care.
10:04I said again,
10:05deliberately.
10:07Don't mention it.
10:08Though,
10:09if you're really grateful,
10:10maybe you should think about how to repay me.
10:12Ace replied with a smile in his voice.
10:15When we reached the survivor's base,
10:16I was taken in for an infection screening.
10:18Once cleared,
10:19I was led to a temporary rest area.
10:20Commander,
10:21you called for me?
10:22I looked up to see a man standing a short distance away,
10:25carrying a medical kit.
10:25The doctor.
10:26His gaze swept over us like an x-ray,
10:28before locking onto my scraped hands.
10:30Looks like she's the one who needs treatment.
10:32Am I right?
10:34This is Jameer,
10:35head of our medical division.
10:37If you ever have an emergency,
10:38he's the one to contact.
10:44You called me in such a hurry,
10:45I thought I'd be dealing with a patient on their last breath.
10:47And yet,
10:48here we have a perfectly healthy woman.
10:50Well nourished,
10:51just a bit overtired and scraped up.
10:53This was your urgent case?
10:54Ace avoided his gaze,
10:56muttering,
10:56Zayla nearly fell off a cliff.
10:58That's urgent.
11:00Wait,
11:01Zayla?
11:03Which Zayla?
11:05You mean the Zayla,
11:07the double PhD in virology and pharmacology?
11:10The one who won a national research award?
11:15That's me.
11:16I mean it,
11:17please.
11:18Take care of yourself.
11:19If you need anything,
11:20anything at all,
11:22call me.
11:23I'd be honored to help.
11:25He wanted to say more,
11:26but Ace promptly dragged him out of the room.
11:30Take good care of her!
11:31You have no idea how valuable
11:33Dr. Zayla is in a world like this.
11:35I know.
11:37She'd be valuable even without the apocalypse.
11:39The bluntness of his words seemed to embarrass him.
11:42A faint flush crept up his face.
11:45Curled up in a chair,
11:46wrapped in a warm blanket,
11:48I looked at him and said,
11:50I don't even know how to repay you.
11:54He had done too much.
11:57He shook his head and pulled out a ledger.
12:00What you should focus on is recovering.
12:02Do you have any family?
12:05Maybe I can help find them.
12:09I gave him my parents' names.
12:12As it turned out,
12:13they had learned about the zombie outbreak early on.
12:16They gathered an enormous stockpile of supplies
12:19and joined the base's upper ranks.
12:22They were thriving,
12:24too busy to care whether I was alive or dead.
12:27As for Oliver,
12:28I had a sneaking suspicion he too had been reborn
12:30and remembered his past life.
12:33Given a second chance,
12:34he was probably stateskin Lena Grensens,
12:37cherishing every moment with her.
12:39We had been married for five years in our past life.
12:42He never once shared a bed with me.
12:45Never protected me from zombies.
12:48Instead, he had preemptively arranged with the base leaders
12:51to seize my supply rations for himself.
12:53Whenever someone asked about his wife,
12:55he would sneer.
12:55She's nothing more than a plaything for me to toy with.
12:58In this life,
12:59Oliver would undoubtedly end up marrying Lina.
13:01Would he finally get the life he wanted?
13:07I don't have anyone I can trust anymore.
13:09Can you arrange for my living quarters to be near yours?
13:12He didn't answer right away.
13:14I reached out,
13:15lightly tugging at the hem of his jacket,
13:18gazing up at him with a trace of vulnerability.
13:20That was when I remembered who Ace was.
13:22Right now,
13:23he was just the head of the rescue division.
13:25But in the future,
13:26he would lead this entire base.
13:27In my past life,
13:28he was also the one who publicly supported my divorce from Oliver.
13:32He had already saved me twice.
13:34Ace wasn't like Oliver.
13:36He wouldn't hurt me.
13:37He crouched down so our eyes were level.
13:39The distance between us shrinking in an instant.
13:43I could smell the faint scent of mint on him.
13:46You shouldn't trust me so easily.
13:50I'm not a good person.
13:53My hope comes with a price.
13:57I don't mind.
13:58What do you want?
14:00I'll do anything.
14:01I said firmly.
14:04Anything?
14:05Anything.
14:06Ace chuckled,
14:07pressing a key into my palm.
14:09This is for the safe house next to mine.
14:11Also, your temperature is high.
14:13Are you feeling fever?
14:14I touched my forehead.
14:15He was right.
14:15He had noticed before I had.
14:17A realization that both touched and embarrassed me.
14:20As Ace guided me towards my new residence,
14:24a familiar voice rang out.
14:26Zayla?
14:27Is that you?
14:28Oliver was here,
14:30arguing with the rescue team,
14:32demanding they go back for a third attempt at saving someone.
14:35The moment he saw me,
14:37the moment he saw me,
14:38he rushed forward,
14:39reaching out with wide, desperate eyes.
14:42You passed the survivor test!
14:43You're not infected!
14:46That's right.
14:47I didn't die in a zombie's jaws.
14:50Disappointed?
14:51Oliver's lips trembled twice,
14:53but no words came out.
14:55Lena, who had been with him,
14:57stepped forward.
14:58Her gaze flicked between Ace,
15:00who was standing behind me,
15:02and me,
15:04narrowing her eyes.
15:05She asked,
15:06Zaya, he's the one who saved you?
15:08But I heard that after the first rescue team left Zone A,
15:10the zombies went into a frenzy.
15:12By the time the second team arrived,
15:14no one who had been left behind in Zone A had survived.
15:16How did you make it out?
15:19I wasn't entirely sure what she was getting at.
15:28Does it matter?
15:29I'm alive.
15:31That's enough.
15:34Of course it matters.
15:35The virus wasn't even in Zone A before,
15:38and then suddenly,
15:39right after you announced your engagement,
15:41the outbreak started?
15:42A little too convenient, don't you think?
15:46She let the implication hang in the air before added,
15:48The apocalypse is beyond our control,
15:50but we can't rule out the possibility
15:52that there could be people
15:52who can still use the virus to do terrible things.
15:55For instance,
15:57killing a fiancé to inherit hefty stuff.
15:58The meaning behind her words sank in.
16:00Lena was insinuating that I had orchestrated the outbreak in Zone A.
16:03Ridiculous.
16:04I was a victim of the whole situation myself,
16:06yet she was spinning me into some villain
16:09with a grand, sinister scheme.
16:12Guilt lingered in me over her death in our past life,
16:15but that didn't give her the right to falsely accuse me now.
16:19Besides, I had given up my spot for survival.
16:23She should be grateful.
16:25Instead, she was standing here, pointing fingers at me.
16:29If I had known this was how she'd react,
16:31I wouldn't have bothered ensuring she got on that damn rescue transport.
16:35I won't stand for this slander.
16:38We can't want to not.
16:40Is there any law here?
16:41Or at least a code of conduct people are expected to follow?
16:46Ace rested a reassuring hand on my shoulder.
16:49Of course. Even in the apocalypse, morality shouldn't be discarded.
16:52We don't welcome those with rotten character in this space.
16:55At his command, a mediator arrived shortly after.
16:58We were taken to a small room for questioning.
17:01The entire time, Lena glared at me with seething hatred.
17:06Zayla hasn't denied my accusations at all!
17:09She snapped.
17:11If you're innocent, why don't you prove it?
17:14Or are you just too guilty to speak?
17:16I rolled my eyes.
17:18Who do you think you are?
17:20I don't owe you an explanation.
17:24Officer, shouldn't the burden of proof be on the accuser?
17:29The mediator nodded.
17:31Lena, if you claim Zayla orchestrated the outbreak, you'll need to provide evidence.
17:37Lena fell silent.
17:38Because there was no evidence.
17:40She was simply projecting the worst possible version of me in her head, convincing herself it was true.
17:46Oliver suddenly stood up, slamming his palm against the table.
17:49His voice rose with fury.
17:50You're being way too rude to Lena!
17:52If you really did this, then thousands of people in Zone A are victims.
17:55Lena's one of them!
17:56So am I!
17:56She's asking a reasonable question, and you refuse to give a straight answer!
18:00Why won't you just tell the truth?
18:02Sit down.
18:03He said, voice low and dangerous.
18:06Do you think yelling makes you right?
18:08The weight in his tone was suffocating.
18:11Oliver clenched his jaw but said nothing, breathing hard as he held his ground.
18:15The air turned heavy with tension.
18:16Oliver still stood in front of Lena protectively, but his gaze kept flicking toward me, toward Ace sitting so close
18:24beside me.
18:25His frown deepened as if he had just realized how little space remained between us.
18:33What exactly is your relationship with her?
18:43Ace let out a quiet laugh.
18:45Leaning in just a fraction closer, he turned to me.
18:49Zayla, what do you think we are?
18:56I met his greys, his eyes.
18:59Those deep amber eyes, glowed like molten gold under the dim light.
19:03A predator's gaze, lazy yet sharp, like a panther laying in wait.
19:07His stare burned into me, igniting something deep inside.
19:10There was no resisting a look like that.
19:14Before I even realized it, our fingers had laced together, his grip firm.
19:20Oliver's face contorted with rage.
19:22He looked ready to snap.
19:24Ready to unleash the same kind of violence he had used to punish me in our past life.
19:29But did it even matter?
19:30Do it again?
19:32Do it again.
19:34Do it then?
19:35Do it again?
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