Chapter 6: The Truth in the Ledger

"How is this possible?!"

Theodore stared at the numbers on the Settlement Stone, now plummeting into the red at breakneck speed. He roared:

"We owe her?! Diana was just some mediocre gray wolf who spent her whole life throwing tantrums and bleeding the family dry!"

"And where is she?! Why are you the one standing up for her?!"

My father jabbed a finger at the altar, his voice thundering:

"This is a joke! Diana's done nothing but act out for attention since she was a kid. She's a leech, plain and—"

"Enough."

The council elder's voice cut through the altar like a blade.

My father froze.

The elder stepped forward and placed one hand against the Settlement Stone.

"The Karma Settlement does not respond to lies. It responds to records."

The stone flashed.

[False Claim Detected: 'Diana contributed nothing to the family.']

[Correction Required.]

A series of images appeared above the altar.

The first showed me at fifteen years old, standing outside the pack clinic after midnight.

My hands were covered in blood.

An injured patrol wolf was lying on a table behind me.

A healer's voice echoed through the recording.

"She stayed here for six hours. She refused payment and told me to put it toward medicine for the younger wolves."

The image disappeared.

Another appeared.

I was carrying several heavy supply boxes through a snowstorm toward the border station.

A young patrol wolf appeared beside me, laughing as he remembered the night.

"She told me not to tell anyone. She said Alpha Theodore had enough responsibilities and didn't need another reason to worry."

Theodore's face turned pale.

I watched him from behind the crowd.

He had no idea.

Not once had he asked where I went.

Not once had he wondered why I always came home exhausted.

Another memory appeared.

Elara was lying in a hospital bed.

My younger self stood beside her, holding an envelope.

"Please use this for her treatment," I said.

The doctor looked at the envelope in surprise.

"This is fifty thousand dollars."

"It's fine. Just help my sister."

The memory vanished.

My mother's knees nearly buckled.

"No..."

She shook her head violently. "That's not possible. Diana told us she spent that money on herself."

Maria laughed bitterly.

"She told you that because she knew you'd never believe she'd sacrifice anything for Elara."

Elara's face had gone completely white.

"That's not true."

Her voice trembled.

"Diana hated me. She always hated me."

The Settlement Stone flashed again.

[Statement Detected: False.]

A new memory appeared.

Elara stood outside my bedroom door months earlier, holding a luxury shopping bag.

"Diana, you're going to submit the expense report for me, right?"

I looked exhausted.

"Elara, that's supposed to be for medical supplies."

She smiled sweetly.

"Nobody checks these things. Besides, you love me, don't you?"

The memory ended.

The crowd erupted.

"She used Diana's name to buy those things?!"

"So the fifty thousand wasn't Diana's spending at all!"

"The family accused the wrong person!"

Elara staggered backward.

"No! She agreed to it! She could have refused!"

Maria's eyes flashed.

"And you could have told the truth."

Elara's lips trembled.

For the first time, there was no clever response.

The Settlement Stone began counting again.

[Medical Contributions: +$50,000.]

[Border Contributions: +$31,400.]

[Pack Service: +$120,000.]

[Training and Education: +$84,000.]

[Emotional Sacrifice: Calculating...]

The numbers continued climbing.

Theodore stepped forward.

"Stop."

The elder looked at him.

"Why?"

Theodore swallowed hard.

"Because... this has gone far enough."

Maria stared at him in disbelief.

"Far enough? You wanted to punish her without hearing a single word she could say."

Theodore's jaw tightened.

"I didn't know."

"Exactly."

Maria's voice shook with anger.

"You didn't know because you never cared enough to look."

Theodore lowered his gaze.

Then the Settlement Stone produced one final record.

[Final Contribution: Life Given in Service of Pack.]

The altar went silent.

A photograph appeared in the air.

It showed me wearing the same torn clothes I'd died in.

Blood covered my body.

My phone lay beside my hand.

The timestamp appeared clearly.

Three days earlier.

Theodore's eyes widened.

"No..."

The elder spoke quietly.

"Diana Mitchell died three days ago."

My mother's face collapsed.

My father's expression turned blank.

Adrian stopped breathing.

Elara's trembling became uncontrollable.

And Theodore...

Theodore simply stared at the image of my lifeless body.

"Diana..."

His voice cracked.

"You were really there?"

I stood directly in front of him.

But he still couldn't see me.

The Settlement Stone flashed one last time.

[Subject Status: Deceased.]

[Karma Settlement: Judgment Pending.]

Then another message appeared.

[Phase Two will reveal the cause of death.]