Opening Scene – The Village Square
The camera opens on a bustling village square filled with a panicked crowd. Voices rise in hushed whispers as people gather to see the horrifying sight in front of them. Starmon comes running into the square, curiosity and urgency etched on his face.
He struggles to make his way through the tightly packed crowd, trying to catch a glimpse of the scene ahead. As he pushes through, the bodies of the two guards from the previous day come into view, hung on poles with their chests pierced. A battle flag flutters above them, marked with blood-stained letters: "YT."
Starmon's expression shifts from shock to a hidden, internal joy. His thoughts race.
"They're dead... Does this mean... the Hero is here?"
The crowd around him murmurs anxiously, questioning who might have done this. Sofia and Elisa stand a few paces away, equally stunned. They spot Starmon, who has just arrived, and notice the faint smile creeping onto his face.
"Why is he smiling?" Sofia whispers to Elisa.
"Do you think... he could've done this?" Elisa replies, glancing nervously at Starmon.
The Guards Address the Crowd
A guard loyal to Zarek steps forward, his voice booming over the murmurs.
"People of Aetherium! There is a murderer among you. Hand over the culprit, and only he will be punished. Refuse, and all of you will suffer the consequences."
The crowd erupts into fearful whispers. Faces turn toward one another, mistrust spreading rapidly.
"Who could it be?"
"What if it's someone we know?"
"What if it's my neighbor?"
No one steps forward. The silence hangs heavily in the air as Zarek himself steps forward, his face a mask of fury.
"So, you want to play games?" Zarek growls, his voice cold and menacing.
"Fine. But let me make this very clear—there's a twist to this game."
The crowd falls silent, holding their breath as Zarek continues.
"We will search your houses. If we find anyone hiding weapons, they will be executed on the spot. And if we find weapons in a house, the entire family will pay for the crime of hiding them."
Gasps ripple through the crowd as panic begins to set in.
Starmon's Dilemma
The camera shifts to Starmon, his face suddenly pale as Zarek's words sink in. His heart pounds in his chest.
"The weapons... they're all in my house. If they find them, my whole family will be punished."
Trying to stay calm, Starmon begins backing away from the crowd, inching toward the edges.
Sofia and Elisa Confront Starmon
As he slips out of the crowd, Sofia and Elisa notice his movements and quickly follow him. They catch up to him just as he's about to break into a run.
"Starmon, where are you going?" Sofia demands, her voice low but urgent.
Starmon glances at them, his voice rushed.
"The weapons. They're in my room. I have to hide them before they search the house."
Sofia and Elisa exchange a glance, then nod in agreement.
"We'll help you," Elisa says firmly.
"There's no time to waste."
Without another word, the three of them take off, running toward Starmon's house.
Transition Scene – Racing Against Time
The camera follows their hurried footsteps through the village streets, tension mounting with every step. The sounds of the crowd fade behind them, replaced by the heavy thudding of their hearts and the crunch of gravel underfoot.
The scene opens with Starmon standing in his house with Stephen, Steve, Sofia, and Elisa. The tension is palpable as Starmon explains everything he witnessed in the village.
Sofia: (frowning) "Starmon... have you done this?"
Starmon: (alarmed) "No! No, this wasn't me!"
Stephen folds his arms, looking at Starmon with a raised eyebrow.
Stephen: "Starmon, if you did this, you need to tell us now."
Starmon: (frustrated) "Why won't you believe me? I swear I didn't do it!"
The others exchange uneasy glances, suspicion evident on their faces. Steve finally speaks up.
Steve: "Alright, what's done is done. Now we need to focus on what's next. They're coming to search the house, and they'll find the weapons if we don't act fast."
Everyone falls silent, deep in thought. Suddenly, Stephen's expression brightens.
Stephen: (with confidence) "Don't worry. I've got this. Leave it to me."
Starmon and Friends: (in unison, surprised) "Really?"
Starmon: (hugging Stephen) "Thank you, Uncle! I don't know what we'd do without you."
Stephen pats Starmon's back reassuringly.
Stephen: (to himself, softly) "Don't worry. No one's going to suffer for this anymore."
He turns to Starmon.
Stephen: "Now, take your friends home. It's best they're not here when things escalate."
Starmon: "Okay."
The scene transitions to Starmon and his friends leaving the house.
An hour later, Zarek and his army arrive at Starmon's house. The rhythmic sound of boots on gravel grows louder as they approach the door. Steve opens the door, startled to see Zarek and his soldiers.
Steve: (nervously) "Lord Zarek... what brings you here?"
The guard at the front steps forward.
Guard: "We're here to investigate. Your house is the only one left to search."
Steve: (attempting to remain calm) "There's nothing here. We have no weapons."
Guard: (pushing past him) "Move aside!"
The soldiers pour into the house, searching every corner. Zarek walks in last, his hands clasped behind his back, exuding authority and disdain. A few soldiers head to the backyard while others scour the rooms.
The weapons are hidden in the small storage space in the roof of Starmon's room. One of the guards searching the room notices the hidden compartment.
Guard: (calling out) "What's this? A storage hatch? Let's check it out."
He grabs a stool and positions it under the hatch. Starmon watches from the other room, his face pale with fear.
Starmon: (thinking) "Where is Uncle Stephen? They're going to find the weapons!"
Zarek notices Starmon's nervous expression, his sharp eyes narrowing in suspicion.
The guard in Starmon's room climbs onto the stool, reaching for the hatch. Just as he's about to open it, a shout from outside breaks the tension.
Voice: (shouting) "YT! YT is here!"
Everyone, including Zarek and his soldiers, rushes outside. A cloaked figure on horseback is fighting Zarek's guards, cutting them down with swift, precise movements. The crowd watches in awe and fear.
An archer from Zarek's army takes aim at the figure. Starmon's eyes lock onto the figure's sword, and his heart skips a beat.
The archer releases the arrow.
Starmon: (whispering) "No!"
Zarek turns sharply toward Starmon, his anger piqued by the outburst. The arrow strikes the cloaked figure, who tumbles from the horse. Zarek's guards quickly subdue him, removing the robe to reveal his face.
Zarek steps forward, his expression twisted with rage.
Zarek: "You know him?"
Starmon: (hesitant) "He... he's my uncle."
Zarek's fury deepens.
Zarek: "So you knew about this and hid him from us?!"
Steve kneels before Zarek.
Steve: "My lord, forgive us. We didn't know. He rarely visits us, and he doesn't live with us. Please spare my family. They are innocent."
Stephen, held firmly by Zarek's soldiers, manages a defiant smile as his mind drifts back to the events of an hour ago.
Flashback
Starmon and his friends had just left the house. Steve turns to Stephen with worry etched on his face.
Steve: "What will you do now? Have you thought of a plan?"
Stephen: (calmly) "We just need to divert their attention, right? One person will be enough for this."
Steve: (alarmed) "No! Don't do it!"
Stephen: "We have no other choice."
Steve: "What about Starmon? Have you thought about him?"
Stephen: "You're here, aren't you? What he needs is a father and mother, and you both are here for him."
Steve's eyes fill with tears as he struggles to find words.
Steve: "Please, think about this again!"
Stephen: (with resolve) "I am an Aetherian soldier. Protecting my land and its people is my duty. During the battle against Malakar, I couldn't take part... but today, I have the chance, and I won't waste it."
Stephen exhales deeply, his voice steady.
Stephen: "I'm not enough to kill Zarek, so if Starmon reacts, you must protect him. Promise me!"
Steve hesitates before nodding, tears streaming down his face.
Steve: "Okay... I promise."
The flashback ends, and we return to Stephen facing Zarek.
Zarek steps closer to Stephen, glaring at him with contempt.
Zarek: "So, you're the one who killed my guards! Why are you smiling now?"
Stephen looks up with defiance.
Stephen: (calmly) "I'm smiling because I see how much of a coward you are. You forbid people from carrying weapons because you're afraid of them. How weak you must be."
Zarek's face darkens with anger.
Zarek: "And yet, here you are, kneeling before me."
Stephen: (confidently) "Without your guards, what are you? Nothing but a pretender."
Zarek's lips curl into a twisted smirk.
Zarek: "You've got guts to speak to me like this. Aren't you afraid of death?"
Stephen: (voice rising) "We are like the Hydra! Cut off one head, and two more will rise. Today, it's just me. But tomorrow, two will stand against you, and one day, the entire village will rise. What will you do then?"
His words echo through the air, his unyielding spirit lighting a fire in the onlookers' hearts.
Zarek lowers his head momentarily, then raises it with a cold, furious gaze.
Zarek: (shouting) "I will destroy the entire village!"
In a flash, a double-edged blade appears in Zarek's hand. With a single swift motion, he cuts Stephen's head, silencing him forever.
Starmon: (screaming) "No!"
Steve and Alice collapse to the ground, weeping. Starmon rushes forward toward Stephen's body, but Zarek stops him with a commanding tone.
Zarek: "Stay away from him! He was a traitor. You're lucky your father is here to protect you."
Starmon's tear-filled eyes burn with anger as he glares at Zarek. The warlord turns and commands his soldiers to retreat. They leave, marching back toward Zarek's castle.
The black screen transitions to a quiet graveyard just outside the village near the forest. A newly dug grave holds Stephen's body. Starmon, his friends, and their families stand by, mourning his loss.
One by one, the villagers leave. Soon, only Starmon remains, sitting by the grave, tears streaming down his face.
Steve: (softly) "Starmon, let's go. It's late."
Starmon: (choking on his words) "Why did he do it? It's my fault. He was training us..."
Steve: "He must have thought this through. Starmon, let's go home now. It's dangerous here at night."
Alice: (gently) "Son, this is near the forest. Soon monsters will come. Let's head back. Don't let his sacrifice go to waste."
Reluctantly, Starmon stands, his heart heavy, and follows his parents home.
Late at night, Starmon sits by the window, staring at the starry sky. His voice breaks the silence, filled with sorrow.
Starmon: "Hero... why didn't you come? I waited for you... the whole time."
Scene: Aetherium Village
The screen fades in to a view of Aetherium, a serene village surrounded by majestic mountains and a glowing Elder Tree at its center. The voiceover begins:
Voiceover:
"This is Aetherium—the home of the greatest heroes in history. At its heart stands the Elder Tree, a sacred entity said to grant special powers to those deemed worthy. For centuries, its existence has been the village's greatest treasure... and its greatest secret."
The camera pans across the tree, its glowing leaves shimmering.
Voiceover:
"Malakar Veilgrave, a tyrant who has conquered countless worlds, seeks ultimate power. Zarek Duskbane, his trusted general, has come to Aetherium to find a way to harness the Elder Tree's magic."
Scene: Zarek's Quarters
The scene shifts to Zarek Duskbane bathing in a grand, darkly lit chamber. The light from flickering torches dances across the water. His brows are furrowed, his mind preoccupied.
Stephen's words echo in his thoughts:
"We are like Hydra! Cut one, and two more will rise."
Zarek exhales sharply and leans back, trying to calm himself.
Stephen's voice rings out again:
"Today it's just me, but tomorrow the entire village will stand against you."
With a growl of frustration, Zarek punches the stone wall beside him, causing cracks to form.
Zarek: (muttering angrily) "If anyone dares to challenge me, they'll pay with their lives."
Now dressed, Zarek sits in his grand chamber. A servant approaches, offering him a goblet of wine. Zarek accepts it, his demeanor brooding.
Zarek: (to himself) "I should go out... clear my mind."
He stands, and two curse-users follow closely behind him.
As Zarek approaches the main gate, he pauses, feeling an eerie sensation. A blur of movement flashes past his left side. He turns abruptly, but nothing is there.
A moment later, he feels a rush on his right and spins to look—but again, no one is visible.
Zarek: (to himself) "Am I imagining things? I must truly need rest."
The camera pans up to reveal a figure cloaked in black, perched atop the castle, watching Zarek silently. The figure's red eyes glimmer faintly beneath a skull-like mask.
Zarek suddenly turns back, sensing something, but the figure is gone.
Curse-user: "What is it, Lord?"
Zarek: "Where are the guards? Why is no one here?"
Curse-user: (nervously) "Maybe they're drinking again."
Zarek: "I've hired fools."
The group moves out, heading toward the forest
Scene: Under the Moonlit Sky
The camera lingers on a breathtaking view of the full moon, bathing the forest in silvery light. Zarek walks ahead of his curse-users, deep in thought.
Zarek: (to himself) "Could that man really have been YT? Or is there something else they're hiding?"
The memory of investigating Starmon's house flashes in his mind. He recalls analyzing Starmon's stats and seeing the unique power: Creation of Magic.
Zarek: (to himself) "That boy... he could be dangerous in the future. I must keep an eye on him."
Raising his head, Zarek is suddenly taken aback. Ahead of him stands the black-robed figure, holding a blood-soaked sword.
Zarek: (aloud) "Who are you? Why is your sword covered in blood?"
Stephen's words echo once more in his mind:
"We are like Hydra..."
Zarek: (snarling) "Guards! Bring him to me! Let him be an example!"
When no one reacts, Zarek turns to see his curse-users lying dead, their bodies lifeless on the ground. His eyes widen in shock.
Zarek: "Who... what are you?"
The robed figure turns slowly, revealing the skull mask and glowing red eyes.
Zarek: (to himself, shaken) "Red eyes? Is he even human... or a demon?"
Steeling himself, Zarek raises his hand, summoning a spear-like curse weapon.
Zarek: "Demon! You've made a grave mistake killing my guards. Now suffer!"
He hurls the curse spear with deadly precision, but before it reaches its target, the robed figure raises a hand. A glowing blue circle forms, absorbing the attack entirely.
Zarek: (stunned) "What? Did he just... stop my attack?"
Zarek's instincts take over, and he quickly checks the figure's stats using his magical vision. To his horror, everything about the robed figure is listed as Unknown. The only detail displayed is the figure's skill: NULL.
The screen freezes momentarily on the robed figure, his red eyes burning with an otherworldly intensity.
Scene: Forest Clearing
Zarek, now enraged, growls and mutters to himself as he summons his double-sided blade.
Zarek: (to himself) "What's this power? "
He adopts an attack stance, the blade glowing faintly with a cursed aura. Just as he's about to strike, a sharp pain shoots through his back. A sword pierces him from behind.
Zarek: (yelling) "You coward!"
He turns his head, catching a glimpse of a woman in a black robe. Her movements are quick, and before Zarek can fully turn around, she leaps back.
Zarek: (thinking) "It's a trap... They're working together. If I turn back, the other one will attack me from behind. Clever, but not clever enough."
Zarek swivels back to face the robed man, ready to defend himself. To his shock, the man is now standing on his right.
As Zarek raises his hand to strike with a burst of curses, the robed man moves with inhuman speed, slicing through Zarek's arm mid-swing. Blood sprays as Zarek screams in agony.
Zarek: (yelling) "No!"
The robed man kicks Zarek hard, sending him tumbling across the ground. As Zarek struggles to stand, curses erupt from his remaining hand, but the robed man waves his hand, nullifying them effortlessly.
The robed woman hurls a massive fireball at Zarek. As the smoke clears, the robed man charges forward, delivering a powerful punch that sends Zarek flying.
Zarek crashes to the ground, groaning in pain. The two robed figures stand over him, exuding a terrifying aura of dominance.
The robed man steps onto Zarek's chest, pinning him down. His deep, menacing voice fills the air.
Robed Man: "Have you ever felt pain before?"
For the first time, fear fills Zarek's eyes. He's trembling—this was unlike anything he'd experienced, even under Malakar's rule.
The robed man lowers his sword to Zarek's face, dragging its sharp edge dangerously close to his eye.
Robed Man: "Let me show you what pain feels like."
With a quick motion, the sword pierces Zarek's eye, and his eyeball flies into the air, landing on the ground with a sickening thud. Zarek screams in agony, clutching his face.
Zarek: (pleading) "Who are you?"
Robed Man: (with Attitude) "YT. And you know what it means? Yearns to Triumph"
Zarek's fear deepens at the name.
Zarek: "Please... forgive me! I swear, I won't return to this village. I'll leave and never come back!"
Robed Man: (mockingly) "Forgive? I'm not as ruthless as you. I'll give you a chance."
The robed man steps back, sheathing his sword.
Robed Man: "I'll count ten."
Zarek, thinking quickly, rises to his feet.
Zarek: (thinking) "Ten seconds is more than enough. I'll rally my forces and make him pay for this humiliation!"
As he begins to run, the robed man coldly counts.
Robed Man: "Ten."
Zarek: (with anger) "You Basta-"
Before Zarek can take another step, his head is severed cleanly from his body. Blood sprays into the air as his lifeless body collapses.
The robed man appears beside the corpse, his blade dripping with blood.
Robed Man: (menacingly) "I'm not ruthless like you... I'm worse."
Robed Man: "I said I will count ten. So I did."
He lets out an eerie, evil laugh.
Robed Man: "Hehe hahaha!"
Scene: A Crow in the Trees
A red-eyed crow perched on a nearby tree witnesses the entire scene. It flaps its wings and flies off, soaring across the night sky.
The crow eventually lands on the arm of Lirion Faelthorn, one of Malakar's generals. Lirion strokes the crow's head with a sinister smile.
Lirion: "Interesting... Inform Lord Malakar of this development. And bring this YT to me."
Scene: Zyra Duskbane
The scene changes to a dark, dungeon-like area. Zyra Duskbane, Zarek's elder sister, is seen lifting a helpless guard by his neck with one hand. The guard gasps for air, begging for his life.
Guard: (pleading) "Please! I have a family!"
Zyra smirks, clearly enjoying his suffering. Suddenly, a curse-user rushes in.
Curse-user: "Masteress Zyra! There's terrible news!"
Zyra: (irritated) "What could possibly be more important than this?"
Curse-user: "Lord Zarek... he's dead."
She crushes the guard's neck, tossing his lifeless body aside like a ragdoll.
Zyra's playful demeanor vanishes. Her fiery eyes glow with fury as she grabs the curse-user by the collar.
Zyra: "Who killed him?"
Curse-user: (fearfully) "A boy named YT."
Zyra's eyes burst into flames, her rage palpable.
Zyra: (growling) "Where is that YT?"
Curse-user: "In a place called Aetherium"
Zyra: (growling) " YT…"
The screen fades to black as Zyra's furious expression lingers.