INT. HELL – SURVIVORS' CAMP – TIMELESS NIGHT
The air is still. For the first time since the fall of the Ark, Hell is quiet. The storms of ash that once swallowed the horizon begin to thin, revealing faint gold light behind the smoke.
Survivors gather around the camp. The wounded—bandaged, fed, and finally rested—sit near the center, watching the faint shimmer in the air. The smell of blood and sulfur fades, replaced by something else—clean, distant, impossible.
Survivor A: It's... quiet. Too quiet.
Survivor B: I don't hear wings. Or claws. Or screaming.
Kwame: checking his hammer Huh. Maybe Hell's taking a break. Bout time.
Cassian: smirks You think Hell gives breaks?
Kwame: Nah. But I'll take the silence before it changes its mind.
They laugh softly. Around them, others rebuild—setting up tents, sorting crates, checking supplies. Smoke rises gently from small cooking fires, not from burning corpses this time.
Viktor: examining a broken rifle Barrel's shot, but I can still turn it into a spear.
Kairo: sharpening a blade beside him We'll need every edge. Even peace here feels borrowed.
Dimitri: leaning on his greatsword, ribs still bound Borrowed or not... I'll take it.
Then, from beyond the horizon, the smoke parts completely. A golden glow spills through the valley—soft, warm, alive. The survivors rise one by one, staring at the impossible sight before them.
Survivor C: ...What the hell is that?
The fog lifts—and what lies beyond is not fire, not ruin, but light. An open valley spreads before the camp, filled with shining rivers and untouched stone. No plants, no beasts—just clean water glimmering like glass beneath a pale sun.
Cassian: Is that... water? Real water?
Kwame: Paradise? In Hell? You gotta be kidding me.
Viktor: tightens his grip on his weapon Nothing good ever shines here.
And then—every survivor hears it. A voice in their heads, calm and holy, cutting through the air like sunlight through fog.
Gabriel (voice): Welcome... to the Garden of Eden.
Every head lifts. Every movement stops.
Gabriel (voice): When Adam and Eve disobeyed our God, they were cast from this place. But sin tainted what was pure. Before it could corrupt the Earth, God tore Eden from the world... and sent it here—to Hell.
The wind swirls gently. The water ripples in response to his words.
Gabriel (voice): What remains is untouched by demons. They cannot drink it, nor defile it. The water is holy—still pure, still sacred. A gift of rest to the forsaken.
Kwame: after a pause, grinning So you're saying we can finally take a bath?
Cassian: laughs, the first real laugh in days You're impossible.
Tanaka: eyes narrowed He said holy, not safe.
Dimitri: Safe or not, I'm in. He strips off his armor and steps toward the edge.
He dips a hand into the glowing river. The water is warm, clean, alive. Steam rises like morning mist. The others watch in silence as he splashes his face, exhaling in disbelief.
Dimitri: It's real...
Survivor D: kneeling beside him It's hot! Like a spring.
Survivor E: Then maybe Hell's spa day just opened.
Kwame: wades into the water, hammer resting against a rock If I die clean, that's still a win.
Laughter breaks across the camp. Survivors strip off their bloodied gear, washing wounds, faces, and armor in the shimmering river. Steam rises, glowing under the dim red sky like holy smoke.
Cassian: It's been so long since I've seen clear water. I forgot what it looked like.
Kairo: gazing at the river's reflection It's too perfect. Like it's waiting for something.
Sofía: Or someone. Don't drop your guard.
Kwame: splashing him with water Lighten up, soldier. For once, Hell's giving us a break.
Survivor F: A vacation in damnation, huh?
They all laugh—the sound raw but human, echoing through the still valley.
EXT. HELL – SOUTHERN RIDGE – SAME TIME
Far from the camp, Arven, Grace, and Kael continue their search for Julian. They move across broken ledges, leaping from jagged rocks to sunken ridges. Their breaths echo against the stone—steady, disciplined, alert.
Grace: Still nothing. No tracks. No demons. No sound.
Kael: That's what's bothering me. This much silence isn't peace—it's warning.
Arven: grips his sword tighter Keep moving. Julian's out here somewhere.
They cross a narrow cliffside, ash rising around their boots. The air is heavy, the stillness unnatural. Even the rivers of lava seem to flow slower here.
Grace: Feels like the whole place is holding its breath.
Kael: Then let's move before it exhales.
Arven: pauses to look at the distance Hang on, Julian. We're coming.
They disappear deeper into the southern ridge, unaware of the paradise forming behind them.
INT. HELL – GARDEN OF EDEN – LATER
Back at camp, the survivors relax in the shining water, the steam glowing faint gold under the fractured sky. Armor rests on the banks, lined neatly beside weapons.
Kwame: leaning back against a rock If Heaven's watching, I hope it's jealous.
Cassian: Don't jinx it. I like this miracle too much.
Elias: keeping watch from the edge You call it a miracle. I call it bait with good lighting.
Kairo: quietly, staring at his reflection Then let's enjoy the illusion while it lasts.
Dimitri: grinning, splashing water on his face You always ruin the mood, Kairo.
Survivor B: laughing Yeah, let the man enjoy his bath!
More laughter fills the air. It doesn't sound like war anymore—it sounds like life. For one brief night, the survivors forget Hell.
Steam rises high above the valley, carrying laughter and echoes upward—toward the burning heavens that still remember the paradise that fell.
To be continued...