PACT OF THE UNSEEN - Chapter 1: THE BLIND AND THE BROKEN
NARRATOR (Older Marcus voice):
Fifteen years ago, the world as we knew it ended. We called it The Rending.
Flashback Sequence - Dynamic animation
The sky tears open with violet-black rifts. Monstrous shadows called Hollows pour through, destroying cities in their wake. Military forces fire everything they have, but conventional weapons pass through the creatures like smoke. Desperation. Screaming. Fire consuming entire city blocks.
NARRATOR:
Monsters from beyond our understanding invaded our reality. Humanity faced extinction in a matter of weeks. Then THEY appeared.
Glowing portals of different colors split the air. Majestic creatures emerge: dragons wreathed in flame, phoenixes trailing stardust, armored giants that shake the earth with each step, ethereal beings that seem to exist between moments. Some immediately engage the Hollows. Others simply watch the struggling humans with ancient, curious eyes.
NARRATOR:
Mythical beings, creatures of legend thought lost to time, stepped through the rifts. And in our darkest hour, some chose to bond with us. The Pact was born.
Rapid montage: A woman's hand touches a phoenix and light envelops them both. A soldier merges with a stone guardian, his body transforming. A child reaches toward a small dragon, and their spirits intertwine. The newly formed Pactbearers turn as one and drive back the Hollow tide. Cities are reclaimed street by street.
NARRATOR:
Those who bonded became Pactbearers. Humanity's shield against annihilation. An organization rose to coordinate them: The Predators. Today, we survive. The war continues. But the cost...
Cut to a massive graveyard. Thousands upon thousands of markers stretch to the horizon.
NARRATOR:
The cost is paid in blood and sacrifice every single day. This is the world we live in. This is the world of the Pact.
LOCATION: THE ORPHANAGE
TITLE CARD: PACT OF THE UNSEEN
Predator Orphanage - Training Grounds, Morning
Dozens of children aged eight to seventeen practice combat drills in the early light. Some fight alongside small, low-tier bonded creatures. A boy of twelve moves in sync with a cat-sized griffin. A girl of fifteen commands a wolf made of living shadow. Instructors circle the grounds, their voices sharp and demanding.
INSTRUCTOR CRAIG (gruff, scarred):
Faster! Your Hollow won't wait for you to catch your breath! Ben, your Griffin is out of sync. Tighten that bond or you'll both die!
In a corner of the yard, several younger kids between ten and twelve sit excluded from training. They watch the others with barely concealed envy. Their hands are unmarked. No pact symbols. No future.
BEN (hopeful despite everything):
Maybe today they'll let us try the Common-rank chamber.
TOMAS (deflated):
They said we're not ready. That we'll "just get hurt."
NIA:
Hey, look. It's Kael.
The other children turn to watch as KAEL ASHFORD walks through the yard. Seventeen years old, he moves with a wooden walking stick that taps methodically in front of him. He wears simple dark training clothes, well-worn but clean. His eyes are wrapped in dark cloth. His expression is cold and distant, like someone who stopped expecting warmth from the world years ago.
BEN runs up to him, unable to contain his excitement.
BEN:
Kael! Kael! We heard you're getting your evaluation today! Are they gonna let you bond?
KAEL stops walking but doesn't turn to face them. His voice comes out flat, emotionless.
KAEL:
Move.
TOMAS (undeterred):
But you're seventeen! You've been training just as long as everyone else! And you're really good at hand-to-hand, even without...
He trails off, suddenly aware of what he was about to say.
KAEL (voice dropping to something colder):
Even without sight? Is that what you were going to say?
TOMAS (stammering):
I didn't mean...
KAEL:
I'm not getting evaluated. They've already decided I'm "unfit for active duty." Just like they decided for you three.
BEN looks confused, hurt.
BEN:
But then why are we training at all?
KAEL laughs, but there's no humor in it. Only bitterness.
KAEL:
Because they need to look like they care. Because optics matter more than results. You're training to become support staff. Cooks, clerks, maintenance workers. Not warriors. Never warriors.
NIA (tears forming):
That's not... we can still try, right? We can...
KAEL (brutally honest):
You're weak. Statistically, even if they let you bond with a Common-rank creature, you'd likely die from the shock. Or the creature would reject you outright. The Predators don't waste resources on lost causes.
One of the children starts crying. The others look devastated, like he's just shattered something fragile they'd been protecting.
KAEL walks past them without another word.
KAEL:
Accept it. Move on. Don't waste energy on impossible dreams.
He continues toward the dormitory building. Several other orphans turn to glare at him as he passes. Whispers follow in his wake.
A sharp female voice cuts through the murmurs.
VOICE:
You're absolutely vile, you know that?
KAEL stops. The yard goes quiet.
LILLIAN FROST steps forward from a group of trainees. Seventeen years old, with silver hair tied back in a practical ponytail and green eyes blazing with anger. She has a faint blue pact mark on her right hand, still fresh enough that the edges shimmer slightly. Recently acquired. Recently earned.
LILLIAN (pointing at the crying children):
They look up to you because you've survived here longer than most. And THAT'S what you say to them?
KAEL turns toward the sound of her voice. His expression doesn't change.
KAEL:
I told them the truth. Something you naive idealists avoid because it hurts your feelings.
LILLIAN (stepping closer):
Truth? You're just a bitter, blind cripple taking out your anger on children who...
The entire yard goes silent. Someone gasps. Even Instructor Craig stops mid-sentence to stare.
KAEL's voice drops to something ice-cold.
KAEL:
What did you just call me?
LILLIAN realizes she's gone too far, but her pride won't let her back down now. She doubles down instead, defensive.
LILLIAN:
You heard me. You act high and mighty, but you're just as broken as they are. At least they have hope. What do you have? A stick and an attitude problem?
KAEL stands perfectly still. When he speaks, his voice is quiet but carries across the entire yard.
KAEL:
And you have a bond you don't deserve and a mouth that runs faster than your brain. Tell me, pig, how long have you had that mark? Three days? A week? Already acting like a seasoned Predator?
LILLIAN (flushed, angry):
I've trained for this! I earned my bond with...
KAEL:
With what? An Uncommon? Maybe a Rare if you're lucky? Congratulations. You're still fodder. The Hollows will tear through you in seconds. But at least you'll die feeling self-righteous.
He turns to walk away.
LILLIAN (shouting after him):
Better to die fighting than to rot here like you! At least I'm not so pathetic I push away everyone who tries to...
KAEL (without turning):
Go squeal somewhere else, pig. You bore me.
He disappears into the dormitory building. LILLIAN stands in the center of the yard, shaking with anger and shame. The other trainees avoid her eyes.
LOCATION: REFLECTION
Dormitory - Kael's Room
The room is small and sparse. A single bed with military corners. A desk with nothing on it. Basic belongings stored with almost obsessive neatness. KAEL sits on the edge of his bed, his walking stick leaning against the wall within easy reach. His wrapped eyes stare at nothing.
KAEL (internal monologue, his voice softer now):
Why did I say that?
A pause.
No. I said what needed to be said. Hope is a luxury. Hope gets people killed.
A flashback flickers through his mind like a broken film reel.
Young Kael, eight years old, standing in rubble. His eyes are open but unseeing, pupils dilated and unresponsive. Bodies lie scattered around him. Hollow roars echo in the distance. Smoke everywhere, thick and choking.
YOUNG KAEL (screaming):
Mom! Dad! Where are you?!
WOMAN'S VOICE (his mother, distant, fading):
Kael... run... RUN!
MAN'S VOICE (his father, strained, desperate):
We love you... we...
An explosion of dark energy. Then silence. Complete and absolute.
KAEL snaps back to the present. His fists are clenched so tight his knuckles have gone white.
KAEL:
They had hope. They believed they could seal that rift. And it killed them.
A knock on the door.
KAEL:
Go away.
The door opens anyway. LILLIAN steps inside, hesitant.
LILLIAN:
I wanted to apologize.
KAEL doesn't look up.
KAEL:
Apology rejected. Leave.
LILLIAN (stepping inside and closing the door behind her):
I was out of line. Making fun of your condition. That was cruel.
KAEL:
Yes. It was.
LILLIAN sits on the floor across from him, uninvited. She crosses her legs and studies him.
LILLIAN:
But you were cruel first. Those kids are just scared. They needed encouragement, not... whatever that was.
KAEL:
They needed reality.
LILLIAN:
They're ten years old, Kael.
KAEL finally turns his head toward her, though he can't see her face.
KAEL:
And if they go into a pact chamber unprepared, chasing false hope, they'll be dead ten-year-olds. I've seen it happen. Three times. Is that what you want? Their blood on your conscience because you filled their heads with dreams?
LILLIAN is quiet for a long moment, processing this.
LILLIAN (softer now):
I didn't know.
KAEL:
Now you do. And now you understand why I don't waste energy on comforting lies.
LILLIAN:
There has to be a middle ground between comforting lies and crushing despair.
KAEL:
If you find it, let me know.
They sit in uncomfortable silence. Finally, LILLIAN stands, awkward and uncertain.
LILLIAN:
Well... I still feel bad. So to make it up to you...
KAEL raises an eyebrow, or at least the area where his eyebrow would be under the wrappings.
LILLIAN (flustered but forcing herself to continue):
I'll... I'll kiss you. There. Debt paid.
KAEL's expression shifts to pure disbelief.
KAEL:
What?
LILLIAN (defensive):
It's a perfectly good apology! Most guys would...
KAEL:
I'm not "most guys," and you're ugly, so no.
LILLIAN (indignant):
UGLY?! How would you even know? You can't see!
KAEL pauses. Then a tiny smirk appears at the corner of his mouth.
KAEL:
Good point.
LILLIAN (hopeful):
So...
KAEL:
Still no. Now get out.
LILLIAN (huffing, standing):
You're impossible!
KAEL:
And you're vile. We're even.
LILLIAN stomps to the door but stops with her hand on the handle.
LILLIAN (quietly):
I really am sorry. About what I said.
KAEL leans back on his bed, already dismissing her from his thoughts.
KAEL:
Noted.
She leaves. KAEL sits in silence for a moment. That tiny smirk returns before fading back into his usual cold expression.
LOCATION: THE MARKET
Fortified City - Market District
The streets bustle with life. Vendors call out their wares from stalls lined with fresh produce, supplies, pact-related gear. Civilians and off-duty Predators mingle in the crowd. Children run between adults, laughing. For a moment, it almost feels normal.
VENDOR:
Fresh produce! Grown in the protected zones! Get it while it lasts!
CHILD (running past):
Mom, look! A Tier 2 Gryphon!
A small griffin-like creature perches on a Predator's shoulder, preening its feathers. The civilians give them respectful space, some bowing their heads slightly as they pass.
KAEL navigates through the crowd with his walking stick, tapping methodically. His other hand occasionally trails along walls, building a mental map of his surroundings. He's done this route a hundred times before.
He turns a corner, focused entirely on his spatial awareness. He doesn't notice someone approaching from the opposite direction until...
CRASH
KAEL bumps into someone. His stick clatters to the ground.
KAEL (immediately):
Sorry. Didn't see you there.
The words come out automatic, habitual. He doesn't think about the irony.
VOICE (male, young, cheerful but with something underneath):
No problem at all. Are you alright?
KAEL bends down, searching for his stick. The stranger picks it up first and places it in KAEL's hand. Their fingers touch briefly.
KAEL freezes.
Something washes over him. An overwhelming, oppressive presence, like standing at the edge of an abyss and feeling it stare back. Like the moment before a storm breaks. His breath catches in his throat.
STRANGER:
Your stick. Be safe out here.
KAEL takes it, working to steady his voice.
KAEL:
Thanks.
For a split second, something flickers in KAEL's mind. He doesn't understand it, doesn't know what it is, but he "sees" something. The outline of a teenage boy with sharp, aristocratic features. Blue hair. Blue eyes that seem almost luminescent. And behind him, a MASSIVE shadow of something serpentine and ancient, radiating power that makes the air itself feel heavy.
VOICE 2 (male, older, deferential):
Vedi, you could have just walked past. No need to waste time on...
STRANGER (his tone shifts, still cheerful but with steel underneath):
No. I am not a cruel person. Everyone is equal to me. The blind, the poor, the forgotten. Everyone deserves basic kindness.
VOICE 2:
As you say, young master.
Footsteps recede. KAEL stands frozen, breathing heavily. His hand trembles slightly on his walking stick.
KAEL (muttering to himself):
That guy... that presence... He definitely has a Mythical. No question. Who the hell was that?
He's lost in thought, starting to walk forward without fully paying attention to his surroundings.
ANOTHER VOICE (female, familiar):
KAEL, STOP!
An arm yanks him backward hard. KAEL stumbles. A heavily loaded supply cart CRASHES past exactly where he was about to step, pulled by a bonded pack animal that snorts and huffs with effort.
CART DRIVER (not even looking back):
Watch it!
KAEL catches his breath and turns toward his savior. It's LILLIAN.
LILLIAN (hands on hips, exasperated):
Are you TRYING to get crushed? What's wrong with you?
KAEL (recovering, irritated at being saved):
I was fine.
LILLIAN:
You were about to be pounded into the pavement.
KAEL:
I would have heard it.
LILLIAN:
Clearly not. Just... let me help you, okay? For groceries or whatever you're doing out here.
KAEL (grudgingly):
It's the least you could do.
LILLIAN (small smile):
See? Was that so hard?
She falls into step beside him, occasionally guiding him around obstacles with a light touch on his arm.
They walk in silence for a while. LILLIAN navigates them through the crowd with practiced ease.
KAEL (after a long pause):
Why are you doing this?
LILLIAN:
Because you were right. About me being vile. I shouldn't have said what I said. And... maybe you were right about other things too. But that doesn't mean I'm going to let you walk around like you don't need anyone.
KAEL:
I don't.
LILLIAN:
Everyone needs someone, Kael. Even you.
KAEL doesn't respond. They continue walking as the camera pulls back, showing the bustling market, the fortified walls in the distance, and rifts shimmering faintly in the sky far above like wounds in reality that never quite heal.
Predator Headquarters - High Council Chamber
A massive room filled with holographic displays showing rift activity across the globe. Red zones pulse with danger. Yellow zones indicate instability. The few green zones grow smaller every year. Several high-ranking Predators confer in low voices, pointing at data streams and tactical maps.
The camera focuses on one figure standing apart from the others. They're looking at a physical file, old-fashioned paper in a world of holograms.
FIGURE:
Kael Ashford. Seventeen. Orphaned in The Rending. No pact. Evaluation scheduled for... never. Status: permanent support assignment.
They close the file with a soft sound.
FIGURE:
Such a waste.
The figure turns away, and the file is placed in a drawer with hundreds of others just like it.
Chapter 1 Ends