The stone walls of the briefing hall were cold, their echoes carrying every word spoken. Zayne, Mira, and Bran stood at attention, their eyes fixed on Sir Aldric, the burly, silver-haired knight pacing before them.
Sir Aldric's face was grim. "Three dead in two weeks. All of them slaughtered in their own homes. The villagers claim it's a monster."
"A monster?" Bran crossed his arms, brow furrowed. "In the slums?"
"Why send us?" Mira asked, her tone tense. "There are stronger knights available."
Aldric's jaw clenched. "Because the victims are people you know. And we need someone who understands the area. It's not just any slum—it's your old village."
Zayne stiffened. The room seemed to grow colder. Memories flickered through his mind: muddy streets, the smell of stale bread, the cries of hungry children. They'd escaped that life to become Holy Knights. Now, they were being sent back.
Mira's fists clenched. "Who were the victims?"
Aldric unrolled a scroll, his eyes scanning the names. "Lena. Garett. Orla."
Mira's breath caught. "Lena was... just a kid."
"A kid who was found torn apart," Aldric said, his voice hard. "The village chief swears it's a beast, but we don't have enough information. Your mission is to investigate, find the source, and eliminate the threat."
Zayne nodded, his jaw set. "Understood."
Aldric met his eyes, his expression dark. "You're not the same kids who left that place. Remember that. You're Holy Knights now. Do what you must."
The room fell silent. Mira's gaze was fixed on the ground, her jaw tight. Bran's fists were clenched, his knuckles white. Zayne swallowed, feeling the weight of the mission settle over them like a storm cloud.
"Dismissed," Aldric said, turning away. "And Zayne... watch your back."
The path to the village was a winding trail through dense woods, the trees looming like silent sentinels. The sky was a slate gray, heavy with the promise of rain.
Bran led the way, his jaw clenched as he gripped the reins of his horse. "I can't believe they're sending us back there. We trained to fight real threats, not... whatever this is."
"It's still a threat," Zayne said, his eyes scanning the darkened forest. "Three dead in two weeks. That's not random."
Mira rode in silence, her gaze fixed straight ahead. The wind stirred her dark hair, and Zayne noticed how tightly she was holding the reins.
"Lena was a kid," she muttered, more to herself than to them. "What kind of monster goes after a child?"
Bran scoffed. "Probably some starving beast that crawled out of the woods. Easy enough to put down."
"Sir Aldric wouldn't have sent us if it were that simple," Zayne said. "There's something off about this."
Bran rolled his shoulders, frustration bleeding into his voice. "What's off is that we're wasting time in that dump. We left that place behind for a reason."
Mira's jaw tightened, but she said nothing.
The trees began to thin, and the air grew colder as they approached the village outskirts. The wooden arch that once welcomed them home was now splintered and leaning to one side. The sign that once read Fallow's End hung crookedly, the letters nearly faded away.
Zayne slowed his horse, his gaze drifting to the rows of shacks lining the muddy streets. The roofs sagged under the weight of damp straw. Smoke curled from a few chimneys, but the streets were empty.
"Quiet," Mira said, her eyes darting around. "Too quiet."
"Maybe they're hiding," Bran muttered. "Can't blame them."
Zayne dismounted, his boots sinking into the mud. "Let's split up. Mira, find your brother and see what he knows. Bran, check the outskirts for tracks. I'll head to the first crime scene."
Mira hesitated, eyes lingering on Zayne. "Be careful."
Bran snorted. "Yeah, wouldn't want you getting eaten by a big, bad monster."
Zayne ignored him, adjusting the strap of his sword. "Meet back here in an hour."
Bran marched off without another word, and Mira cast one last glance at Zayne before hurrying down a narrow alleyway.
Zayne turned toward the far end of the village, where Lena's cottage stood alone, its door hanging off one hinge.
The wind howled through the empty streets, carrying a chill that seeped into his bones.
It felt like the village was holding its breath.
EXT. LENA'S COTTAGE – DAY
Zayne pushes open the broken door of Lena's cottage. The inside is dark, the air heavy with the scent of dried blood. The floorboards creak beneath his boots.
A broken chair lies in the center of the room, its wooden legs splintered. Dark stains streak across the floor like claw marks.
Zayne crouches down, fingers brushing the bloodstains. His eyes narrow as he notices deep gouges in the wood—marks too precise to be from a beast.
His gaze shifts to the far wall. Carved into the wood, nearly invisible beneath a layer of dried blood, is a single word:
ENVY.
Zayne's jaw clenches. He stands and turns, eyes scanning the room for more clues. There's a broken locket on the ground, its chain snapped. He picks it up, wiping away the grime to reveal a small, faded portrait of Lena and her little brother.
Zayne's grip tightens. "What happened to you, Lena?
EXT. VILLAGE OUTSKIRTS – DAY
Bran stomps through the mud, eyes scanning the ground for tracks. His breath fogs the air, and the forest looms, dark and endless, just beyond the village.
He kicks a stone, sending it skidding into a puddle. "Monster, my ass. This is just a waste of time."
Nearby, he spots a patch of disturbed earth. Kneeling down, he brushes away the mud to reveal deep claw marks—five distinct grooves, each as thick as his finger.
Bran frowns. "That's... too big for a man. But too perfect for a beast."
He stands, eyes narrowing at the treeline. Shadows move between the trees, branches creaking like old bones.
A twig snaps behind him. Bran whirls around, hand on the hilt of his sword, but the alley is empty. Only the wind stirs, whistling through the trees.
Bran grits his teeth. "Get it together, Bran."
INT. MIRA'S FAMILY SHACK – DAY
Mira steps through the rickety doorway, her eyes adjusting to the dim light. Inside, her younger brother, Davin, sits hunched over the table, a thin blanket draped around his shoulders.
"Mira?" he says, eyes widening. "You're back?"
Mira forces a smile and moves to his side, ruffling his hair. "Yeah. Sir Aldric sent us to help. What's been going on?"
Davin's face falls, eyes dropping to the table. "It's... it's bad, Mira. People keep disappearing. And Lyle..."
Mira's heart skips. "What about Lyle?"
Davin swallows, fingers trembling. "He's not the same. Keeps going off into the woods at night. Comes back all... different."
"Different how?"
"His eyes," Davin whispers, voice quivering. "They... glow."
Mira's blood runs cold. "What color?"
"Green."
EXT. LENA'S COTTAGE – DAY
Zayne pockets the broken locket and steps outside, eyes scanning the village square. Bran marches toward him, face dark.
"Nothing in the woods," Bran says, shaking his head. "But there's something out there. And it's big."
Zayne nods, jaw set. "It's not just a monster. Someone's leaving marks behind. The word 'Envy' carved into Lena's wall."
Bran frowns. "Envy? What's that supposed to mean?"
Before Zayne can answer, Mira rushes up, breathless. "It's Lyle," she says, eyes wide. "Davin says he's been acting strange. Eyes glowing green."
The three of them exchange a look.
Zayne's hand drifts to the hilt of his sword. "We need to find Lyle. Now."