Re:Code My Life – Chapter 3: The Girl with the Fading Light
🗡️ Scene 1: Mission Assigned
[INT – AERILON GUILD HALL – AFTERNOON]
The sunlight pierces through the stained glass windows of the adventurer's guild. The faint humming of magic echoes through the stone walls. Adventurers chat in the background. The air smells like ink, steel, and faint mana residue.
SFX: Tick... Clack... (boots on the marble floor)
Receptionist (stern voice):
"Ritesh. You've been approved for your first field mission."
Ritesh (softly):
"Understood."
He walks forward. His white cloak sways with each step. His eyes — one blue, one gold — glint under the light. Beside him, Shisei skips like a playful puppy.
Receptionist (sliding scroll across desk):
"This task is for Rank-E adventurers. Northwatch Forest has had increased goblin activity. Your mission — eliminate 50 goblins, collect their left ears as proof, and return before sunset."
Shisei (wide-eyed):
"Fifty?! That's like... a whole green army!"
Ritesh (calmly):
"Goblins aren't an army. They're just noise."
Narrator:
He spoke with the tone of someone who had seen real war... in another life.
Receptionist:
"Be careful. Their numbers may vary. And goblins may not be the only thing lurking."
Ritesh (nodding):
"Duly noted."
---
🌲 Scene 2: Entering the Forest
[EXT – NORTHWATCH FOREST – MIDDAY]
The path narrows as trees rise around them. Crows cry in the distance. The air is damp. Leaves crunch underfoot. Ritesh walks with calm precision, eyes scanning every shadow.
SFX: CRUNCH… crunch… rustle…
Shisei (muttering while skipping):
"Do goblins scream when they die? I wanna hear one!"
Ritesh:
"Focus, Shi. We're here to work."
He unsheathes a sleek black dagger and tightens the strap of his gauntlet. His mana hums faintly around his hand.
---
⚔️ Scene 3: First Strike
A small group of goblins snarl behind a mossy rock. Four of them. Jagged blades. One holds a rusty shield.
SFX: GRRRAAAGH!
Goblin 1 (screeching): "Human meat!"
They charge.
Ritesh (cold tone):
"Bad idea."
He lowers his stance, pushes forward — vanishing in a blink.
SFX: WHOOSH!
SFX: SLASH!
SFX: SHINK! (dagger through flesh)
Three goblins drop instantly. The last stumbles, turns to run.
SFX: FWWWWSSHH! (a burst of wind magic from his hand)
Goblin 4: "SKREEEEE—!"
—and it explodes into leaves and blood.
Shisei (clapping):
"Four down, forty-six to go!"
---
🩸 Scene 4: Ears and Emptiness
Ritesh kneels beside the corpses. With surgical calm, he slices each left ear off and places them in a cloth pouch.
SFX: SCHLICK… plop…
Narrator:
There was no joy in his face. Just silence. Like he was somewhere else…
Ritesh (thinking):
"In another life, I killed men with names. Now I'm killing beasts with numbers."
---
🔥 Scene 5: Goblin Swarm Ambush
Two hours pass. Ritesh has 31 ears in his pouch. Shisei hums while skipping beside him.
SFX: TWIG SNAP!
Suddenly — 14 goblins burst from the trees, shrieking.
SFX: RAAAARRGHH!
Shisei (startled): "Uwaaah! So many!"
Ritesh:
"Stay behind me."
He steps forward. Magic swirls around him. Fire at his left hand. Wind at his right.
Ritesh (calmly):
"Combust."
He slams both palms together.
SFX: FWWOOOOOOOOM! (flames burst outward)
SFX: SCREEEEE!!!
Goblins shriek and collapse, some still aflame.
Shisei:
"Big bro, you roasted them! It smelled like crispy frog legs!"
Ritesh (stoic):
"Still need the ears."
---
🩸 Scene 6: Cleanup
Ritesh walks slowly from corpse to corpse. His blade cleanly slices the ears, his pouch now red-stained and nearly full.
SFX: SLICE… DROP… ZIP.
Narrator:
To him, it wasn't a hunt. It was an equation. Action. Result. Proof.
Ritesh (muttering):
"Forty-seven… Forty-eight…"
A final duo approaches, unaware. He throws two enchanted daggers in one motion.
SFX: THUNK. THUNK.
Ritesh:
"Fifty."
---
🏞️ Scene 7: Something's Wrong
[EXT – OLD FOREST PATH – EVENING]
As Ritesh walks the return path, something catches his attention — a faint disturbance in mana.
SFX: BZZZZZ…. (from his red eye activating)
Ritesh (thinking):
"Something's bleeding… mana? No… cursed."
He follows it down a dry creek. Vines tangled. Light dim.
Shisei:
"Big bro… what's wrong?"
Ritesh (serious):
"Someone's here."
---
👤 Scene 8: Hinata Appears
Under the shade of a broken tree… lies a girl. Torn brown cloak. Dust-caked skin. Her hands are bruised. Her body is thin. She's unconscious, breathing shallow.
SFX: Wind rustles through trees…
Narrator:
Her lips were dry. Her mana was crying. Her soul — sealed.
Shisei (whispers):
"Who is she…?"
Ritesh walks to her. His hand glows faintly. His red eye ignites.
Ritesh (softly):
"…She's cursed."
Magical sigils appear on her neck and chest — a twisted mark of slavery.
Narrator:
Someone had taken her. Branded her. Suppressed her light. But she escaped… and collapsed here, alone.
Ritesh (angry):
"They sealed her mana… They made her a slave. They were going to sell her."
(voice sharpens)
"She ran… but didn't make it far."
He kneels and touches her hand. A faint pulse — but weak.
Ritesh:
"Still alive. Barely."
Shisei:
"She's pretty. And scary."
Ritesh:
"She needs help. Now."
🔥 Scene 9: The Girl in His Arms
[EXT – FOREST PATH – NIGHTFALL]
The sky fades into deep violet. Crickets begin their song. Fireflies dance above the path as Ritesh carries the unconscious girl in his arms. Her breath is shallow. Her skin pale. Her hands tremble even in sleep.
SFX: Cicada hum… leaves rustling… distant owl hoot…
Narrator:
The forest felt quieter. As if the world itself held its breath.
Shisei (walking beside him, worried):
"Big bro… she's still not waking up."
She stares up at Hinata's dirty face, blinking.
"Do you think she was cursed because she's strong?"
Ritesh (calmly):
"Not just strong. She was powerful. Dangerous enough that someone wanted to sell her."
Shisei (pouting):
"That's messed up. I'd curse them instead!"
---
🏠 Scene 10: Home, Barely Safe
[INT – RITESH'S HOUSE – NIGHT]
A small wooden house. A single lantern glows faintly. The fireplace crackles. Ritesh gently places Hinata onto his bed. Her head shifts slightly. A pained expression crosses her face.
SFX: CLOTH RUSTLE… gentle THUMP of bedding…
Narrator:
She looked barely alive. But her mana… it hadn't given up. It screamed to break free.
Ritesh (thinking):
"This curse… it isn't just for control. It's suppression. Like someone put her in a cage inside her own soul."
He removes his gloves and places two fingers over the curse mark on her neck. His red eye glows.
SFX: BZMMMMMMM… (magic humming)
Ritesh (chanting softly):
"Decode. Strip seal. Release bind."
But the mark resists. It flares violently.
SFX: FZZZZTTT! SNAP!
Ritesh (pulling back):
"Tch… it's reacting to my mana. Whoever placed this… knew what they were doing."
---
🌀 Scene 11: Unexpected Reaction
Shisei stands beside the door, clutching a pillow.
Shisei:
"Big bro… will she die?"
Ritesh:
"Not if I can help it."
He closes his eyes, this time focusing differently. Blue sparks ignite around his other eye — his absorption eye. It draws in raw cursed energy like a vacuum.
SFX: VOOOOMMMM… WHOOSH…
Hinata's body glows faintly — magic lines dancing over her skin.
Narrator:
Something inside her was resisting. As if her soul… didn't want to burden anyone again.
---
💧 Scene 12: The Awakening
Suddenly — the curse shatters. The mark on her neck vanishes like ash.
SFX: CRACK! SHHHHHHHH…
Hinata gasps, breathes in deep — her chest rising violently.
SFX: GASP!
She floats slightly off the bed — her body glowing with pure blue aura.
Ritesh (whispering):
"She's… restoring herself."
The light gently fades. She lowers back onto the bed. Her eyes flutter open — pale lavender, glassy, but alert.
Hinata (weakly, voice cracking):
"…Where… am I…?"
Shisei (running up):
"WAHH! She's awake! She's awake!"
"Big bro fixed you! You were like… cursed and dying and stuff!"
Hinata (confused):
"…Bro…?"
Her eyes slowly turn toward Ritesh. She freezes.
"You…"
Ritesh (calmly):
"You're safe. No one's selling you now."
She blinks. Then — a tear falls.
Hinata (soft whisper):
"…Thank you…"
🌙 Scene 13: The Girl's Name
[INT – RITESH'S HOUSE – MIDNIGHT]
The fireplace flickers softly. Rain begins to fall outside, a gentle patter against the wooden roof. Hinata sits up slowly on the bed, clutching the blanket around her. Her breathing is stable now, but her hands tremble faintly. Across the room, Ritesh leans against the wall with his arms folded. Shisei sits cross-legged on the floor, watching Hinata curiously like a cat eyeing a wounded bird.
SFX: PITTER-PATTER… CRACKLE…
Hinata (softly):
"…I was supposed to die there."
Ritesh doesn't flinch. He watches her in silence.
Ritesh (low):
"You didn't."
Hinata looks up. For a moment, her eyes meet his — hers filled with exhaustion, his with quiet fire.
Hinata:
"Who… are you?"
Ritesh (after a pause):
"Just someone who knows what it's like… to be thrown away."
Hinata's lip quivers, and her eyes well up again. She quickly wipes them with her sleeve.
Hinata:
"My name is… Hinata Tachibana."
"…I used to be strong… until they put that mark on me."
---
🧣 Scene 14: Past and Pain
Hinata's voice shakes as she recalls.
Hinata (trembling):
"I was captured… in a border village. Someone sold me out. They sealed my powers… made me their property."
"They were going to sell me in the slave market in Norvath."
"But I escaped before they reached the gate. I ran for hours… until I couldn't move anymore…"
SFX: Rain intensifies outside.
Narrator:
Her words hit Ritesh like a hammer. Memories flashed — a friend's betrayal, fake tears, a will forged in silence. He clenched his jaw.
Shisei (softly):
"You're safe now."
Hinata looks down. Her voice is barely audible.
Hinata:
"Safe… sounds like a lie. But… I want to believe it."
---
🧒 Scene 15: Shisei's Warmth
Shisei stands up, marches to the bed, and flops next to Hinata.
Shisei:
"You smell weird."
"But you're pretty! So it's okay."
Hinata (choking a laugh):
"…What?"
Shisei (grinning):
"Big bro has scary eyes and no emotions. I'm the emotional one."
"You can be our friend! I'll protect you too!"
Hinata's eyes widen. For a moment… she laughs. Quietly. Lightly. For the first time in what felt like years.
Hinata (whisper):
"…Thank you."
Narrator:
And just like that… a flicker of warmth returned to her eyes.
---
⚠️ Scene 16: The Warning
Later that night. Ritesh pours water into a cup and hands it to Hinata. She drinks slowly. Then—
Ritesh (firmly):
"You're not safe yet."
Hinata (startled):
"What…?"
Ritesh:
"The one who cursed you. They didn't just want to sell you. That kind of curse… it's meant to erase your identity. Your name. Your will."
He leans forward slightly. His red eye glowing faintly in the dim light.
Ritesh (cold):
"If they learn you survived… they'll come for you again."
*Hinata's grip on the cup tightens. Her hands tremble.
Hinata (determined, quiet):
"Then I'll get stronger. Stronger than before."
---
✨ Scene 17: Bond Sealed
Shisei leans on Hinata's shoulder, already dozing off. Ritesh brings over a warm blanket and gently covers them both.
Hinata (softly):
"…Why are you helping me?"
Ritesh:
"…Because once… I was alone too."
He walks back to his seat and closes his eyes.
Narrator:
In that little wooden house, three souls — broken in different ways — shared a quiet night. And though none of them said it… they had already become each other's light.
🌅 Scene 18 – Final Scene: The Light Returns
[INT – RITESH'S HOUSE – MORNING LIGHT]
The first sunlight filters through the wooden window. Birds chirp softly. Hinata slowly opens her eyes. Her body feels… lighter. Her hands no longer tremble. She breathes in deeply, without pain.
SFX: CHIRP… CHIRP… BREEZE…
Hinata (thinking):
"Is this what peace feels like…?"
She turns and sees Shisei snoring beside her, hugging a pillow, mouth wide open.
Hinata (smiling softly):
"…Cute."
SFX: DOOR CREAK…
Ritesh enters quietly with a cup of warm tea.
Ritesh (calmly):
"You're awake."
Hinata (sitting up slowly):
"I feel… stronger. Like the chains inside me are gone."
Ritesh (placing cup beside her):
"They are. But don't mistake survival for safety."
Hinata lowers her gaze.
Ritesh (firmly):
"You'll have to train. Learn to trust again. And protect yourself. No one should ever… steal your name."
Hinata (whispers):
"…You didn't ask who I was."
Ritesh (shrugs):
"You're Hinata. That's enough."
---
👭 Shisei's Declaration
Shisei suddenly sits up with bed hair and sleepy eyes.
Shisei (yawning):
"Mmm… Did someone say tea?"
She looks at Hinata and grins.
"Oh good, you're still alive!"
Hinata (chuckling):
"…Barely."
Shisei stretches, then suddenly grabs Hinata's hand.
Shisei:
"Then it's official!"
"You're my new big sister! Now you have to stay."
Hinata (surprised):
"…Big sister?"
Shisei (beaming):
"Yup. And we don't abandon family here."
Hinata's eyes tremble. A tear rolls down her cheek — not from pain this time, but from warmth.
---
🕶️ Final Cut – Shadows Stir
[EXT – FOREST EDGE – SAME MORNING]
A figure in a black hood crouches on a tall branch, looking down at Ritesh's home through a spy-glass crystal.
SFX: LEAF RUSTLE… low magical hum…
Shadowy Voice (deep, dark tone):
"She survived…"
"…And someone powerful broke the seal."
He pulls out a communication orb, glowing red.
Shadowy Voice:
"Inform the master. The cursed girl is awake… and she's not alone."
SFX: ORB ZZZZT!
---
Narrator (calm but ominous):
"A soul once shackled now begins to shine again.
But light does not return without casting new shadows…"
---