[Opening Scene — The Village]
The wind howled through Raventhorn Village, carrying the chill of the approaching storm. Cracked lanterns swung above muddy paths; villagers shut their doors, whispering fearful prayers.
Inside a small hut at the far end, a woman clutched her son to her chest. His skin shimmered faintly with silver scales that caught the candlelight.
Mother: "Hush, Ardyn… they'll hear you."
Ardyn: "Why do they hate me, Mother?"
The boy's voice was soft, trembling. He was ten—fragile, thin, and yet his eyes glowed with a strange golden hue.
Mother: "You are not a monster. You were born under the Seventh Moon. The heavens marked you for something greater."
Father (whispering as he barred the door): "Greater or cursed, it doesn't matter. The sect patrol is coming."
A sudden knock—three heavy thuds—shook the wooden door.
Voice outside: "Open in the name of the Sky Abyss Sect!"
The mother froze. The father's hand tightened on the hilt of his rusty blade.
The door splintered under a burst of spiritual force. Blue-robed cultivators stepped in, their eyes gleaming with arrogance.
Cultivator #1: "So it's true. The monster child exists."
Cultivator #2: "Inform the master. His aura disturbs the spiritual flow for miles."
Ardyn stepped forward instinctively, trying to protect his mother.
Ardyn: "Don't touch her!"
A pulse of golden light flashed from his eyes. The cultivators stumbled back, startled.
Cultivator #1: "He's emitting energy at ten years old?!"
Cultivator #2: "A cursed bloodline… contact the Grand Master."
Within moments, a jade talisman glowed, sending a signal far away—to the sect's mountain stronghold.
---
[Scene 2 — The Summit of Sects]
A vast hall shimmered under floating crystals. Thirty elders from different sects stood in a circle. At the center sat Lord Kaien Solmere, Patriarch of the Solmere Clan and ruler of the Thirty Sects, his black hair streaked with gold qi.
Kaien: "A child whose presence bends spiritual veins. Born in my empire's borders without a known lineage. Such existence cannot be allowed."
Elder Rathen: "Perhaps he's a divine blessing?"
Kaien (coldly): "Or a calamity. Do you wish to gamble the empire's fate on a deformed boy?"
Murmurs rippled through the assembly.
Kaien: "Summon the Emperor. We will decide his end."
---
[Scene 3 — The Imperial Command]
On a floating palace above clouds sat Emperor Veylan Azrath, clad in radiant gold armor. His gaze could crush weaker cultivators to dust.
Messenger: "Your Majesty, the sects request judgment on the child of Raventhorn."
Veylan: "A boy with divine qi at birth? Such beings challenge the balance. Prepare the Thirty Lake Seal. He shall be bound beneath heaven."
The decree spread like wildfire. Sects mobilized, forming a grand procession toward the Thirty Lake—the sacred heart of their dominion.
---
[Scene 4 — The Lake of Condemnation]
Night fell when the child was brought.
A lake of black glass stretched for miles, reflecting thirty luminous sect banners. In its center floated a small island—no wider than a house—where an intricate circle of runes glowed.
Thunder cracked as the Emperor descended upon a golden platform. Around him stood the thirty sect leaders, clan elders, and spirit beasts watching from the mist.
Ardyn was pushed onto the island. His parents struggled against the guards.
Mother: "Please! He's just a child!"
Father: "If he has power, teach him—not kill him!"
The Emperor raised his hand, and the guards struck both parents down. Blood stained the lake's reflection.
Ardyn (screaming): "No! Mother! Father!"
A ripple of energy exploded from him, shaking the island. The sky itself roared as lightning struck the dome forming above.
Kaien: "He's awakening! Seal him now!"
Thirty leaders lifted their palms; thirty beams of spiritual light converged on the island, shaping into a shimmering dome of light and metal.
Ardyn's small body trembled, golden qi swirling around him like a storm.
Ardyn: "You'll pay… all of you…"
His words echoed, but the dome closed. The runes tightened like chains, pressing on his spirit. His vision blurred; memories flickered like shattered glass.
Veylan: "If fate wishes him to survive, he will crawl from the depths himself. If not—let oblivion claim him."
Kaien gestured. The island began sinking slowly beneath the water.
Mother's voice (fading): "Ardyn…"
Then silence.
---
[Scene 5 — The Depths]
Darkness swallowed everything.
Ardyn's lungs burned as cold water filled his chest.
Through the murk, a massive shape moved—a beast with silver eyes and jagged fins: the Abyssal Shark Emperor, creation of the Emperor himself.
It circled the dome, its jaws lined with golden fangs.
Ardyn (thought): So… this is death?
But his will refused to fade. Even as memories dissolved, something deep within him stirred—a voice older than time.
Ancient Whisper: Breathe, child of the forgotten heart… meditate, and the world shall bend to you.
He crossed his legs, sitting within the crushing water, golden energy pulsing faintly from his body.
Ardyn: "If I can't live… I'll still remember my hatred."
The last of his memories vanished. The dome sank into silence.
---
[Scene 6 — One Thousand Years Later]
The lake no longer gleamed; it was a graveyard of mist and ruin. The sects that once ruled had fallen into decay. Still, the dome beneath the water remained untouched.
Inside it, the boy—now a man—sat motionless. His silver scales had faded, replaced by flawless human skin. His aura, once chaotic, now pulsed with calm cosmic rhythm.
A sudden tremor shook the dome.
Outside, the ancient shark stirred. Its body, massive and scarred, pressed against the barrier.
For centuries, it had waited for commands that never came. Its master, the Emperor, had long vanished into higher realms.
Abyssal Shark (thought): Master… have you forsaken me?
It rammed the dome in despair. Cracks of light spider-webbed across the barrier.
Inside, Ardyn's fingers twitched. His eyes opened—golden and serene.
Ardyn: "Where… am I?"
He looked around, confused. The water felt warm, almost alive. Through the cracks, he saw the great shark staring back at him.
Ardyn: "You… are you trapped too?"
The shark paused, sensing no malice. For the first time, it felt something strange—kindness.
Abyssal Shark (telepathically, cautious): "Human… who are you?"
Ardyn: "I… don't know. I just woke here."
Abyssal Shark: "Then perhaps we share the same prison."
Ardyn touched the dome; his golden qi pulsed softly. Cracks widened, releasing streams of bubbles.
Ardyn: "If I free you… will you harm me?"
Abyssal Shark: "No. Free me, and I shall serve you. I have no master worth following."
He smiled faintly—a genuine, gentle smile that the shark had never seen from humans.
---
[Scene 7 — The Breaking of the Seal]
Ardyn focused, instinct guiding him. He drew in the surrounding qi, channeling it through his body. The dome trembled violently.
Outside, lightning erupted over the lake as ancient seals shattered one by one.
Abyssal Shark (awe): "This power… he is no ordinary mortal."
With a thunderous crack, the dome burst apart, releasing waves that split the lake in half. The shark swam near him protectively.
Ardyn drifted upward, unconscious. The shark gently nudged him toward the surface, keeping the water calm around him.
---
[Scene 8 — The New Dawn]
Sunlight pierced the mist. Villagers from a nearby settlement watched in shock as a body floated to shore—a young man, serene, as if sleeping.
A boy, no older than fifteen, rushed forward.
Boy: "Father! Someone's in the water!"
Father: "Careful, Derin! The lake's cursed."
Boy: "But he's alive!"
Together they pulled Ardyn onto the shore. The shark, now the size of a dog-sized baby fish, floated nearby unnoticed, its eyes glowing faintly blue.
Later, in their wooden cottage, Ardyn awoke. His vision swam before focusing on the simple room and kind faces.
Ardyn: "Where… am I?"
Derin: "You're in Blueleaf Village. We found you near the Thirty Lake."
Ardyn: "Thirty Lake…" (he rubs his temple) "That name feels… heavy."
Derin's Father: "You were barely breathing. It's a miracle you survived. Rest here for now."
Ardyn: "Thank you. I… don't remember anything. Not even my name."
Derin (smiling): "Then we'll call you what the lake gave back—'Ren.'"
Ardyn (softly): "Ren… yes. I like that."
Outside, the small shark floated in a bucket of water, watching silently. Its thoughts were far darker.
Abyssal Shark (thought): He does not remember… good. If he knew the truth, perhaps he'd destroy everything again. But one day, I'll have my revenge—and maybe he'll help me do it.
Ardyn looked out the window, feeling a strange pull toward the lake's center. Somewhere deep inside, a voice whispered again—the same ancient whisper from long ago.
Ancient Voice: Awaken, child of the forgotten heart. The world that buried you still awaits your return.
---
[Scene 9 — Closing]
The winds over the Thirty Lake howled once more.
Empires rose and fell, sects turned to dust, but destiny stirred beneath the rippling water.
A forgotten monster, reborn as a man with no memory, walked the earth once again.
And far above the clouds, in the Celestine Empire's golden halls, a seer trembled before her vision.
Seer: "The seal… has broken."
Emperor of Celestine: "Then the age of silence ends. The monster of Azrath will return."
Lightning split the skies.