INT. CANDIDATES' DORMITORY – MORNING
Three days pass in uneasy silence. The survivors rest well for once, almost forgetting the weight of what comes next. But when the morning bell echoes through the halls, they know it is time.
Only forty-five remain. They gather in the great hall, waiting.
The air shifts. Gabriel descends, radiant wings dimly glowing, his presence silencing the crowd.
Gabriel: Today... you are called. This may be your last chance to see your families... or perhaps not.
A murmur spreads among the candidates. Some straighten in pride, others tremble.
EXT. MILITARY COMPOUND – DAY
The massive steel doors open. For the first time since their capture, the survivors step outside.
Bright sunlight blinds them. Helicopters roar overhead. Armored vehicles surround the perimeter. Soldiers stand at attention. And beyond the barriers — thousands gather. Media cameras flash. Reporters shout. The world watches.
But louder than the machines are the cries. Families have been gathered — every family of every chosen one, even those whose loved ones are already dead. Wails echo as parents, siblings, and children see the candidates in uniform.
Arven freezes as he spots his family. His mother rushes forward, tears streaming. His sister clings to her, crying uncontrollably.
Arven's Mother (sobbing): We missed you so much... Please, come back to us.
His sister grips him tightly, refusing to let go.
Arven's Sister (through tears): Don't leave us, kuya... Please.
Arven hugs them both, his own tears burning.
Arven (thinking): This... this might be the last time.
Nearby, other reunions unfold. Fathers grip sons, sisters cry into brothers' arms, lovers cling desperately. The air is thick with grief and fragile hope.
But then — silence.
Some candidates stand alone. No one comes forward for them.
Kairo Veyra stands cold, untouched by family. Elias Ward watches blankly, no one at his side. And Kael... Kael walks away when Arven asks.
Arven: Kael... where's your family?
Kael's jaw tightens. He keeps walking.
Kael (flat): ...Nothing.
Arven's heart sinks. So that's it. His family... they're gone.
EXT. STAGING PLATFORM – DAY
Gabriel rises onto a towering stage, broadcast across every screen. His voice booms over speakers, his figure framed by banners and angelic light. Cameras tilt upward, capturing his every word.
Gabriel: People of Earth. Today, forty-five chosen stand before you. The saviors of humanity... or its extinction.
The crowd erupts, fear and awe mixing like a storm.
Gabriel (continuing): To those who were chosen but fled... do not think yourselves safe. When the portal opens, you will be dragged into Hell regardless. There is no escape from Judgment.
Families cry louder. Some scream. The soldiers grip their rifles tightly as if Gabriel's words shook even them.
Gabriel spreads his wings.
Gabriel: Inside the domains await demons without number. But within also lies your salvation. Kill the Sigils, collapse the realms, and return victorious. Fail... and humanity is erased.
He pauses, letting the cameras zoom closer.
Gabriel: This is not war. This is trial. This is justice. And justice... will be fair.
Fair. That word again. A word that chilled Arven's spine.
Narration: Before the whole world, Gabriel declared it — the end or the beginning. Families wept, soldiers stood frozen, and the chosen felt the weight of every eye on them. For soon, the portal would open. And there would be no turning back.
To be continued...