INT. SCHOOL GYM – DAY
The squeak of sneakers on polished floor. Lyra Mei, hair tied back, is drenched in sweat as she drives through another round of sparring practice. Her classmates rest on the bleachers, scrolling their phones, laughing.
But Lyra doesn't stop.
Coach (calling out): Mei, you've been at it an hour. Take a break.
Lyra Mei (breathing hard): If I stop now, I'll always stop.
She adjusts her gloves, stepping back into stance.
INT. APARTMENT – NIGHT
The flicker of a TV fills the small room. Lyra sits at the table with her younger brother, Kai, steam rising from instant noodles. He laughs at something on his handheld console.
Kai: You're always training. Don't you ever get tired?
Lyra Mei (half-smiling): Tired, yeah. But not enough to quit.
Kai (grinning): You think the world's gonna end or something?
Lyra's smile fades. She looks at him, quiet for a long moment.
Lyra Mei (softly): If it ever does, someone has to be ready.
EXT. CITY STREETS – RAIN – EVENING
Rain slicks the sidewalks. Lyra runs under dim streetlights, hoodie plastered to her back, shoes splashing water. Her lungs burn, but she doesn't slow.
Her phone buzzes — a message from Kai:
Don't train too much. You're all I've got.
She slows for a moment, clutching the phone tight. Her eyes sting. Then she keeps running.
INT. THE ARK – MEMORY – TIMELESS
The city is gone. Black stone stretches endlessly. Lyra stands in armor, her blade gripped in both hands.
Her voice echoes faintly, as though answering Kai's words from long ago.
Lyra Mei (voice-over): If I stop, someone else falls. If I fall, maybe someone lives one more day.
INT. SUBWAY PLATFORM – DAY
Lyra waits with Kai, people rushing past — students with headphones, a man helping an old woman, a woman carrying flowers. Lyra studies them quietly, eyes sharp.
Kai tugs her sleeve.
Kai: You're staring again.
Lyra Mei: Just... making sure the world keeps moving.
Kai: Even without you?
She crouches a little, meeting his eyes.
Lyra Mei (softly): Especially without me.
The train screeches into the station, drowning out her words.
INT. THE ARK – LIMINAL MEMORY – TIMELESS
She walks a corridor fading into white. No weapon, no sound — only her footsteps echoing.
Lyra Mei (whispering): Strength wasn't enough. But maybe stubbornness was. Maybe giving everything... was enough.
Her figure fades into silence.
Narration (closing):
She was more than steel. More than defiance. She was the choice to stand when no one else would — even if it cost her everything.
To be continued...