ECHOCRISIS
Season 1 – Episode 1
"The City That Forgot the Sun"
BLACK.
A SCREAM echoes.
A metallic echo.
The clashing frequency of crystal.
INT. CELLAR – NIGHT
Pitch black.
A CRYSTAL emits a pulsating blue light like a vein.
The light illuminates the surrounding faces in fragments.
A MAN IN A ROBE has pressed both hands against the crystal.
He is trembling.
Behind him are 4 youths.
At the back is KAI. (Boy, 12)
A young man shouts:
YOUNG MAN
Kai! Hurry! Now!
Kai approaches.
The crystal's light hits his eyes.
On the crystal's surface…
a man's face is reflected.
Covered in blood.
Kai's lips tremble.
KAI (whisper)
…Father.
THE CRYSTAL SCREAMS.
The light EXPLODES.
CUT TO BLACK.
EXT. VIREHOLM – NIGHT
Silence.
No wind.
No birds.
No footsteps.
A city…
as if dead.
A BELL RINGS in the distance.
The camera slowly pans down.
NARROW STREET.
The stone pavement is COVERED IN CORPSES.
Some are frozen in a kneeling position.
Some have their eyes open.
Blood flows through the cracks in the stones.
A man kneeling in the street: KAI (24)
Platinum-blonde hair.
A hat casts a shadow over his face.
He touches the chest of a corpse.
A liquid like black ink flows from his hand.
From a distance…
METAL FOOTSTEPS.
SIX EMPIRE SOLDIERS enter with lanterns.
SOLDIER LEADER
Hey! You there! Stop!
Kai slowly stands up.
He raises his hands.
KAI
Okay…
I'm here.
A moment of silence.
The sky darkens.
The streetlights begin to flicker out.
A shadow breaks away from the walls.
A massive form of bone and feathers:
SHADOW OWL.
Its claw clamps down on Kai's shoulder.
Kai is lifted into the air.
At the same moment…
SEWER COVERS BLAST OPEN.
Shadow creatures pour out.
One of the officers tries to scream.
No sound comes out.
The street turns into a graveyard in a matter of seconds.
The camera FREEZES.
Six officers.
Dead.
EXT. SKY – NIGHT
The Shadow Owl glides over the city, carrying Kai.
Below, people lock their doors.
Windows shut.
A mother cradles her child.
Kai whispers:
KAI
Valorius…
This city…
is still breathing.
The Owl narrows its eyes.
Kai lowers his hand.
The Owl fades into the darkness.
Kai turns into a shadow.
He glides down a building's pipe.
INT. ABYSSAL FOLD – NIGHT
Another world underground.
The wounded.
Metal.
Smoke.
Half-mechanical people.
Echo sparks flickering in the air.
A child coughs.
A woman prays.
A man presses a crystal against his vein.
Kai blends into the crowd.
TITLE CARD: ECHOCRISIS
🎬 ECHOCRISIS
Season 1 – Episode 1
"The City That Forgot the Sun"
Continued
INT. LOWER DISTRICT INN – NIGHT
The ceiling is low.
The air is thick.
Mold and blood on the walls.
In a corner, three men drink in silence.
At a table, a wounded woman changes her bandages.
A child splits his bread in half and gives it to his sibling.
The door opens.
KAI enters.
Long overcoat.
Hat like a shadow.
A faint green glow in his left eye: NETHRA.
Suddenly…
the inn falls silent.
Kai approaches the bar.
KAI
Water.
The bartender extends the glass with a trembling hand.
Just as Kai is about to take the glass—
THE DOOR SLAMS OPEN.
Cold air floods in.
Six figures.
Bone-white armor.
Dirty gold embroidery.
Cross motifs.
IVORY WARDENS.
In the lead: CAPTAIN VALEN ARCTURUS.
A long, scarred face, heavy armor.
Beside him:
SISTER AURELIA – white nun's armor, face bandaged.
SERAPH COMMANDER ITHRIEN – mechanical wings.
CONFESSOR MALREC – hooded, bloodshot eyes.
Han holds his breath.
Valen speaks slowly:
VALEN
In this city, death…
is a sacred command.
Kai sets the glass down on the table.
KAI
In this city, death…
is just a meal.
Valen narrows his eyes.
VALEN
You cut down our officers up there.
KAI
First they breathed.
Then they took the wrong step.
Silence.
Aurelia strikes her spear against the ground.
Metal echoes.
AURELIA
Leave your sin here.
Kai's left eye glows.
KAI
I leave no sin.
I will be the one who survives.
Valen raises his hand.
Ivory's soldiers retreat.
VALEN
I leave this night to you, Shadow.
The door closes.
Han takes a breath again.
Kai reaches under his cloak.
He freezes.
No weapons.
Kai's face darkens.
Whisper:
KAI
…Stone.
Suddenly—
THE DOOR BLASTS OPEN.
Ivory returns.
Fire.
Glass shatters.
Kai shoots two soldiers.
Valen turns, sword half-drawn—
Kai's kick strikes his face.
Kai flies out through the glass.
EXT. BACK ALLEY – NIGHT
Kai rolls to the ground.
Ivory emerges from behind.
Aurelia hurls her spear.
Kai ducks.
The wall VANISHES.
Ithrien dives down from above.
Clang of metal.
Kai pulls the sword from Ithrien's waist.
VALEN
Execution formation.
Four Ivory soldiers form a circle.
4 against 1.
Kai makes the first move.
He clashes with Ithrien's spear.
Kai tries to draw his six-shooters—
Aurelia strikes Kai's jaw with the butt of the spear.
Blood.
Kai staggers and laughs.
KAI
Bastards.
Ithrien's winged strike is visible in the blood's reflection.
Ithrien lifts Kai into the air.
He hurls him onto the roof.
Kai lands on his knees.
Malrec approaches.
He whispers:
MALREC
Holy pain will purify you.
Aurelia strikes Kai's temple with the butt of her spear.
Kai collapses to the ground.
Ivory chains clamp around his wrists.
Valen approaches.
VALEN
Shadow…
you are now our shadow.
Kai's vision begins to darken.
A SHADOW OWL watches from a rooftop.