[Scene 1 – Dawn, Misty Plateau Outside Solareth]
Morning fog clung to the cliff as a second sky. Narrow shreds of light sliced through the mist, making long shadows on the practice field. Kris twirled his sword idly, the wind whistling past him.
KRIS
(smiling)
"Reminds us of a scene in a movie."
JESSICA
(stretching her arms)
"If we are, I'd like fewer bruises and more dramatic lighting next time."
Footsteps rang out — steady, quiet, sharp.
VINAM
(voice cold, calm)
No foe shall wait for ideal light.
The group turned around. Vinam emerged from the fog, his cloak billowing behind him, The Blooming Destroyer on his back, shrouded in shining material.
VINAM (CONT'D)
"Today's lesson is survival. No formations. No rules. Just instincts."
He glanced at all of them. His gaze rested for half a second on Zagan, who met his gaze unflinching. The mist grew colder between them.
---
[Scene 2 – Training Session Begins]
Vinam moved first — not a threat, not a warning. Just a burst of movement.
His blade was out before the team even knew he was drawing it. Kris simply parried the sweep with a yell, stumbling back.
KRIS
"Woah— you should at least say hi first!"
VINAM
"Your enemies won't."
Jessica raised a shield just in time to absorb a shockwave. Zagan stood still, thinking. Waiting.
VINAM (TO ZAGAN)
"You. Step in."
ZAGAN
(whispering)
"I'll observe."
VINAM
"Observation without experience is cowardice."
Zagan's eyelid twitched. He stepped forward. His hand clutching the hilt of his sword tightened. Magic rippled in little waves at his feet — erratic time essence.
KRIS (TO JESSICA)
"Why do I have a feeling that they're going to kill one another?"
JESSICA
"Because they probably are."
---
[Scene 3 – Building Tension]
The spar between Vinam and Zagan was not a spar.
Zagan would not attack head-on. Everything he did was thoughtful, reactive, evasive. Vinam's attacks were measured, never fatal, but precise enough to pry.
Each encounter echoed with something greater than metal — it resonated with silence, questions, and unfulfilled weight.
VINAM
"You're holding back."
ZAGAN
"And you're not telling us everything."
A silence. Vinam's blade was suspended an inch from Zagan's cheek, quivering. But they didn't flinch.
VINAM
"One day, you'll get it."
He turned his back on Zagan and strode away, cloak flowing behind him like a banner of flight.
---
[Scene 4 – Sudden Ambush: Rift Opens]
There was a blinding crack behind them. A black gash down the side of the cliff appeared next to them. Out slithered a demon — bones with knife-like arms, stitched together with corrupted power.
JESSICA
"Contact! It's a Realm Rift Demon!"
KRIS
"Seriously? Now?!"
VINAM
Positions. Now.
The battle was intense. Jessica shot arrows of light in short bursts, Kris made head-on slashes, Zagan disappeared and reappeared behind the beast, slicing tendons before fading into darkness.
Vinam observed them all for a moment, then finally took his place among them. His sword glowed — not blue. Not red. Just pale white flame.
With one flawless arc, he divided the demon in half.
---
[Scene 5 – Aftermath: Smoke and Silence]
The demon's ashes were blown away by the wind and deposited a smoldering crater on the ground.
KRIS
(panting)
"That… was smoother than last time."
JESSICA
"Still nearly died, but yeah, progress."
ZAGAN
(softly, glancing at Vinam)
The others did not notice, but Zagan saw the knife. It was already in its scabbard — too quickly. He breathed in a faint glow as Vinam stepped back. Not blue. Not bright. Just. something else.
KRIS
"Zagan, you okay?"
Zagan blinked. He shook his head.
ZAGAN
"Fine. Just tired."
He forced a faint smirk and walked off. The air felt heavier as he left.
---
[Scene 6 – Late Night: Cliffside, Zagan's POV]
The moon was high. Zagan perched on the edge of the cliff, boots resting scantily on the soil. Wind whispered softly, sweeping a section of his hair over his eyes.
He slowly clenched his fist, gazing at the sword he'd produced on the battlefield — dancing with unsteady time runes.
ZAGAN (INTERNAL)
Ruinbloom… That wasn't an illusion. That is what I saw that night.
A sword drenched in grief and devastation. And Vinam handled it as if he was meant to.
But why conceal it? What else is he concealing from us?
He closed his eyes. A memory flashed before him: the crimson light, the creaking of space, and Vinam's voice — distant and ominous.
-
[Scene 7 – Kris Finds Him]
Kris moved stealthily and sat beside him and presented him with a drink pouch.
KRIS
"Still can't sleep either?"
ZAGAN
"No."
Stop.
KRIS
"I get the sense that we're going in the direction of something intangible. And Vinam has already succeeded."
Zagan
"Why won't he turn around and talk to us?"
Kris stared at him, taken aback by the seriousness.
ZAGAN (CONT'D)
Forget it.
KRIS
"Zagan. You'd inform me if all was well… wouldn't you?"
Zagan didn't respond.
ZAGAN (softly)
Take a rest. We'll be requiring it. ---