ABYSSAL REVERIE
CHAPTER: PROLOGUE
"The Two Adventurers"
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EXT. VERIDIAN EXUVIA – AFTERNOON
Silence blankets the dense forest. Until—
THUD.
A distant impact. Then—
CLANG. THUD.
The sounds grow louder, closer... until a massive CREATURE bursts through the tangled wall of branches.
Its claws curve like scythes, jagged and beveled as though they were once fingers. Muscles bulge beneath thick fur, pulsing with glowing purple veins.
It swings.
On the other end—JULIUS, a swordsman in crimson, blocks with a broad blade. The sword cracks at the hilt under the impact.
JULIUS
(gritting his teeth)
My back...!
He crashes into the trunk of a massive oak. The tree groans under the blow.
ELDRIE
(shouting)
Fall back, Julius! We can't win this!
JULIUS
Hell no! Marie's still out there—I'm not leaving without her!
From the shadows, more creatures emerge. Smaller, yet twisted. Crawling nightmares with six to eight human legs and arms sprouting like wings from their backs. Dozens of eyes blink in sick harmony.
The trio is surrounded.
JULIUS drags himself upright, using his sword as a crutch.
ELDRIE pulls his bowstring tight, the arrow gleaming near his silver hair.
ELDRIE
If we stay, we all die. Julia's barely holding on. You'll lose Marie and your sister!
JULIA
(struggling)
Please, Julius... I know it's hard, but we have to run...!
JULIUS
(furious)
LIKE HELL I WILL!
A new swarm appears—winged insects with jagged stingers and nightmare faces. Their jaws unhinge, spewing purple liquid.
The trio dives aside. JULIA stumbles too late. Acid hisses against her leg. Her tights melt away—revealing bone beneath.
JULIA
(screaming)
Aaahhh!
JULIUS freezes. Reality hits.
ELDRIE
JULIUS!
JULIA
JULIUS—!
He turns—just as the towering GOLIATH looms over him. Eighteen feet of monstrous fury raises its clawed arm—
THUMP.
A flash.
???
(nonchalant)
Hey now...
A figure in red and black appears behind JULIUS. The GOLIATH's finger drops—cleanly severed.
???
(talking to the Goliath)
Whoa, talk about ugly. Ever heard of a pedicure? Or are those even fingers...?
JULIUS stares, stunned. Before he can speak, he's yanked backward by a sudden force. His companions are suddenly beside him.
Standing before them is a HOODED WOMAN, adorned with tools, vials, and strange instruments. From a worn satchel, she pulls out small glowing orbs.
At her feet—MARIE, barely conscious.
JULIUS
Marie...? Marie!
He reaches for her, but the woman intercepts. One of the orbs hits the ground, releasing a magical VEIL—a green shield tinged with blue light.
The insects launch more ooze, but the barrier absorbs it harmlessly.
ELDRIE
Is this... magic?
JULIA
My leg... It's healing...!
ALENA
(calmly)
Name's Alena. Didn't expect to find rookies this deep in. Lucky for you, Aster and I heard the ruckus.
JULIUS
(cursing)
Damn you—! You insulting us cause I'll kick your–
ELDRIE
Easy! Alena, is Marie... is she alive?
ALENA
Barely. She was exposed to cursed mana, but I know how to purify her.
ELDRIE
Wait—what about your friend?! Will he be alright?!
ALENA
Yep. That guy who chopped the Goliath's finger off like it was nothing? He'll be fine.
---
CUT TO – ASTER
ASTER
(smirking)
Big guy, with all that roaring, you trying to overcompensate?
He glances at the GOLIATH's groin. Nothing notable. The beast swipes at him—but ASTER is gone. Now behind it, he surveys the horde of cursed creatures.
ASTER
Let's make this quick. Don't want my dinner to get cold.
A crawling beast lunges from the side. ASTER casually traces it with a finger. He finally looks—and smiles.
In a blur, he draws the blade from his back, flips over the charging creature, and slams the sword into the earth.
The impact cracks the ground. The creature screeches, crumbles—its body turning to ash.
ASTER
Didn't even get to pick. I miss the days when monsters had manners.
The horde charges. But ASTER dances through them—untouched. He leans against a tree, arms folded, blade sheathed.
ASTER
Yawn... Is jumping all you can do?
The insect swarm dives. ASTER flicks his hand. A red pulse erupts, blasting the ooze back with double the force.
The GOLIATH charges, arms digging into the dirt, slingshotting itself forward.
ASTER leaps, catches its tail mid-flight, and—
SCHWING.
Black blood fountains. The GOLIATH howls.
ASTER
Yikes. That was your tail, right?
Below, the broken bodies of insectoids lie crushed. Dissolving into mist.
JULIUS
(stunned)
He's... mocking it?
ALENA
(sighing)
No. He's just showing off.
ASTER
(to the GOLIATH)
Look, this isn't going anywhere. Just tell me where the roots are.
The GOLIATH roars—and hurls a boulder.
It slams into ASTER. He doesn't move.
The stone explodes into a thousand shards, which hurtle toward the others—only to shatter harmlessly against Alena's veil.
The forest around them lies flattened. Trees reduced to stumps. Ground scorched.
ASTER
Not very polite. But hey—I wasn't expecting manners from a mouth that wide.
He swings his blade.
WHOOSH.
The GOLIATH'S head drops with a heavy thud.
Blood flicks from ASTER's blade. He sheathes it and sighs.
ASTER
Well, that was fast. No party horns? No loot drops? Tch. What's an adventurer gotta do to get a reward around here?
EXT. VERIDIAN EXUVIA – NIGHT
The forest is quiet now. After the chaos, the group has made camp. A fire crackles softly. MARIE sleeps in a tent where ALENA tends to her, while ASTER sits with the others outside.
JULIA
So you and Alena are here to investigate the ecosystem?
JULIUS
Sounds like a load of crap to me. After what you did to that thing? You expect me to believe this is just an investigation?
ASTER
(laughs)
Hey, I didn't ask you to believe me. Just gave an honest answer.
What you fought back there? Probably a result of the ecosystem going outta whack.
JULIA
Aster... if you don't mind—what were those creatures?
ASTER
Hmm... not sure. Skipped that part of school.
Silence.
ASTER (CONT'D)
We call them cursed creatures. Weird corruption's been spreading. No one really knows what they are.
What we do know is that the Ley Lines are rotting. And anything that gets caught in it—
turns into those freakish, twisted things.
JULIA
Corrupted things...? You mean...?
ASTER
Those six-legged freaks? They used to be people.
The bugs? Wildlife that stuck around too long.
Wouldn't surprise me if wolves, boars... hell, even chickens show up eventually.
(chuckles)
Chickens...
JULIUS
Then why hasn't this been reported? Why isn't anyone doing anything?
ASTER
Because you'd need to be some kind of superhuman to even fight them?
Not surprised it's under wraps.
There's probably a dozen reasons... but I haven't stuck around long enough to know 'em all.
JULIA
Do you think... they're after something?
ASTER
Beats me. But right now, I'm the only one crazy enough to hunt them.
And that's because of—
Suddenly, the tent rustles open. MARIE steps out with ALENA, weak but conscious.
Everyone turns toward her.
ELDRIE
(softly)
Marie... I can't believe it... I thought you were gone...
JULIUS
(scowling)
Tch... You were so ready to leave her behind.
JULIA
Julius!
ELDRIE
(snaps)
Shut up, Julius. I had to make a judgment.
JULIUS
Don't act like you care now! Some leader you are. You're nothing but scum, always hiding in the back.
ASTER
(stern)
Pipe down, kid. You swing that big sword like you've got a clue—
but you clearly don't. Your "leader" saw a giant monster stomp you into a tree
and said: maybe we should retreat. That's called common sense.
JULIUS
Doesn't change the fact that he was ready to leave Marie. I won't forgive that.
ASTER
And if you and your sister died too?
Who do you think would carry that?
Poor ol' Eldrie, lying awake every night—
"Oh, the screams of my friends, they haunt me! The nightmares never end!"
ALENA
(sharply)
Enough, Aster.
(turns to Julius)
And you. Shut up.
You've got no idea what you picked a fight with.
If we hadn't shown up, Marie would be dead.
And you're forgetting something else.
ALENA glances at JULIA—whose wounds are now fully healed.
ALENA (CONT'D)
Julia would've turned into one of them.
And she would've killed both of you on the spot.
JULIA's heart stops for a beat. The camp falls silent. JULIUS and ELDRIE no longer speak.
ASTER
(wryly)
Jeez, Alena. Scare 'em why don't you?
ALENA
(serious)
Like it or not, Eldrie made the right call.
At that moment, Marie was as good as dead.
His responsibility was to keep you two alive. And here you are—alive—thanks to pure luck.
So be thankful. And don't be—
ALENA steps forward and shoves JULIUS. Despite his heavy armor, he stumbles back.
ALENA (CONT'D)
—don't be a dick.
ASTER
(smirking)
Whelp. On that note—I'm gonna get some beauty sleep.
A man can't work at 100% if he isn't gifted with the sweet nectar of sleep, after all.
I bid you all adieu.
He heads for the tent.
Around the fire, the group settles down. JULIUS, quiet now, sits beside the flames. He stares into the fire—reflective, ashamed.
Maybe in the morning, he'll apologize.