The Small Village
ELDERGATE VILLAGE - A small, sleepy hamlet, surrounded by rolling hills and dense forests. Simple wooden houses, smoke rising from chimneys. Children playing in the dirt road.
Image: A young boy, no older than ten, with shaggy brown hair and wide, timid eyes, sits alone near a well. He’s clutching a small, worn wooden toy. In the background, three slightly older boys, grinning maliciously, are pushing another smaller child into a puddle.
Narrator (Thought Bubble): Rayja was small for his age, always quiet, always an easy target.
The Taunts Image: Close-up on Rayja’s face. His eyes are downcast, a faint bruise blooming on his cheek. He winces as one of the bullies points at him, laughing.
Bully 1 (Speech Bubble): Look at Rayja! Always hiding!
Bully 2 (Speech Bubble): Too scared to even look up!
Parents' Comfort
Image: Inside a cozy, humble cottage. A kind-faced woman with a gentle smile is bandaging Rayja’s scraped knee. A strong, bearded man ruffles Rayja’s hair, a warm, protective look in his eyes. A small, crackling fire in the hearth.
Mother (Speech Bubble): Don't you worry, my little star. They're just jealous of your gentle heart.
Father (Speech Bubble): Some day, son, you'll show them what true strength is. It's not in fists, but in kindness.
Narrator (Thought Bubble): His parents were his world, his shield. The only place he felt safe.
The Attack
Image: A sudden, chaotic scene. Flames engulfing a wooden house in the background. War horns blare, depicted with sound effect "BLAAAAAST!" in bold, jagged letters. Shadows of monstrous figures with crude weapons are visible in the smoke. Rayja, wide-eyed with terror, is being pulled by his father towards a small, camouflaged cellar door.
Father (Speech Bubble, urgent): Quick, son! Hide! Don't make a sound.
Hiding in the Dark
Image: Inside the cramped, dark root cellar. Rayja is curled into a ball, hands clapped over his ears, eyes squeezed shut. Above him, faint thumps and muffled screams can be heard. A sliver of light from the cellar door shows dust motes dancing.
Sound Effect (Vaguely from above): SCREAMS... CRASH... ROAR...
Narrator (Thought Bubble): The world outside... tearing apart.The Aftermath
Image: Rayja cautiously peeking out from the cellar. The village is a smoldering ruin. Smoke chokes the air. Houses are reduced to charred timbers. A few bodies lie still in the dirt. Rayja's face is stained with soot and tears, his eyes hollow with shock.
Narrator (Thought Bubble): Silence. A silence colder than death.
