2

The Elder activated the ancient magic, beginning to extract and display my memories.

When I was ten, the silver mines at the edge of our pack territory collapsed due to unstable geology. My twin brothers Kane and Ryan were still minors then, their Alpha powers not yet awakened. Against our parents' strict orders, they snuck into the mining area to explore.

They got trapped by the collapsed tunnels. Silver dust filled the air, threatening suffocation or silver poisoning at any moment.

I sensed the danger and entered the mines alone to find them.

When I discovered them, Kane and Ryan were already unconscious from inhaling silver dust. I used my small body to shield them from falling rocks and toxic particles, barely managing to create an escape route.

As I led them out, a sharp piece of silver ore crashed down from above. I shoved my brothers aside, but the fragments pierced through my shoulder. Silver poison invaded my bloodstream. From that day forward, my body remained weak until I awakened as an Alpha wolf, barely managing to save my life.

Some pack members whispered among themselves. Someone questioned, "If she really cared about her brothers that much, why is she being accused of harming pack members now?"

But most chose silence.

My memories continued playing—when I was twelve, our pack territory was attacked by hostile forces. Our Alpha parents commanded the defense while the Beta assistants (Sophia's parents) were responsible for protecting Kane and Ryan.

In the chaos, Kane and Ryan broke away from the safe zone on their own, charging toward the front lines to "prove themselves." The Beta assistants chased after them to stop them, but were struck down by stray arrows and killed.

After that, my brothers completely romanticized the Beta assistants' deaths as "sacrificing themselves to save lives," transforming their guilt into extreme favoritism toward Sophia.

When Sophia first came to our home, my twin brothers showered her with care. That day, she stood in the snow with her lips white from cold. Kane immediately took off his coat to wrap around her, then turned to me with a command.

"Aria, give Sophia your scarf."

I unwrapped the wool scarf my mother had knitted by hand and passed it over, only to hear Ryan softly comforting her. "Don't mind her. My sister's been like this since childhood—she doesn't understand empathy."

Later, I found my pillow thrown into the snow. When I retrieved it, it was soaked through and frozen solid. When I questioned them, Kane just frowned. "Sophia just lost her parents. She's emotionally unstable. You have Alpha blood—what's a little cold to you?"

Sophia liked my things, and my brothers always allowed her to take them.

The moonstone necklace my mother left me disappeared. A few days later, it appeared around Sophia's neck.

"She likes it, so let her have it." Ryan pressed down on my shoulder, his tone brooking no argument. "She's lost enough already."

Later, I found the shattered pendant buried in the garden dirt.

At the training grounds, I was accidentally wounded by a silver-tipped arrow. The wound burned like fire. When I returned to the medical station, Sophia "accidentally" knocked over my medicine bowl, spilling the healing potion across the floor.

Kane didn't even look up, only checking her hands. "Are you okay, Sophia? Did any silver powder splash on you?"

I silently watched the medicine seep into the floorboards. Ryan sighed beside us. "You've been exposed to silver poison since childhood. This small dose won't kill you. Stop making such a big deal."

Another time, I caught Sophia secretly pouring silver powder into my water cup. When I grabbed her wrist, Ryan burst in and shoved me away.

"You're bullying Sophia again!" Ryan roared. "She still has silver poisoning aftereffects—how can you treat her like this?"

Sophia immediately collapsed weakly against Kane's shoulder. "I was just... trying to pour sister some water..."

"Aria, you've disappointed me completely." Kane's voice was ice cold. "Starting today, you're moving to the attic. The inheritance our parents left will be jointly managed by us, so you can't bully Sophia anymore."

The final memory was their conversation in the study.

"Once the trial ends, Sophia will inherit Aria's Alpha power." Kane's voice carried relief. "Her illness will get better."

"This is what Aria owes her." Ryan said flatly. "If she hadn't always made Sophia upset, Sophia's condition wouldn't have deteriorated so quickly."

The courtroom fell into dead silence.

The pack members who had been clamoring for my severe punishment all went quiet. Sophia's face turned deathly pale, while my twin brothers stood frozen in place, their expressions locked.

The Elder sighed deeply. "Memory magic does not lie."

Kane suddenly exploded with rage. "She's lying! These memories are all fabricated!"

"Enough!" the Elder roared. "Alpha memory trials are never wrong!"

In the gallery, some people lowered their heads while others clenched their fists.

But the memory images continued playing. This time, they revealed the truth about those medical funds...