SINNER
[Scene: The Dark Forest – A Hidden Cave Near the River]
(Lucian leads Elara through the thick underbrush, his steps silent despite the tangled roots and fallen leaves. Elara struggles to keep up, her cloak snagging on a low branch. She yanks it free, muttering under her breath.)
ELARA: (grumbling) "Do you always walk like a shadow, or is it just to make my life difficult?"
LUCIAN: (chuckles) "Would you rather I stomped around like a drunken soldier?"
ELARA: "At least then I could hear you."
LUCIAN: (glancing over his shoulder) "If you could hear me, so could the people hunting you."
ELARA: (rolling her eyes) "Fair point."
(Lucian gestures toward a large rock formation ahead. A narrow opening is hidden behind layers of thick vines.)
LUCIAN: "We're here."
ELARA: (raising an eyebrow) "A cave? Not exactly a palace."
LUCIAN: (smirking) "Did you expect silk sheets and golden chandeliers, little witch?"
ELARA: (crossing her arms) "No, but a roof would be nice."
LUCIAN: "You'd be surprised how much safer stone is compared to a castle built on lies."
(Elara hesitates before stepping inside. The cave is dim, lit only by the moonlight filtering through the cracks in the stone. It's not grand, but it's dry, and the scent of burning wood lingers—he's been here before.)
ELARA: "How long have you been hiding here?"
LUCIAN: (leaning against the wall) "Long enough."
ELARA: "And yet, no one has found you?"
LUCIAN: (grinning) "No one has lived to tell the tale."
(Elara shivers at his words but doesn't let it show. Instead, she lowers herself onto a flat rock, pulling her cloak tightly around her.)
ELARA: "So… what now?"
LUCIAN: "Now, you tell me where your proof is."
ELARA: (shaking her head) "Not yet."
LUCIAN: (narrowing his eyes) "We had a deal."
ELARA: (calmly) "And I will keep my end of it. But I need to know something first."
LUCIAN: (crossing his arms) "You don't make demands of me, little witch."
ELARA: "Then consider it curiosity."
LUCIAN: (scoffing) "Curiosity gets people killed."
ELARA: "And yet, here I am."
(Lucian exhales through his nose, watching her for a long moment. Then, he gestures for her to continue.)
LUCIAN: "Fine. Ask."
ELARA: "Why do you hate the king so much?"
(Silence. Lucian's expression darkens, the usual amusement fading from his silver eyes. He turns away, staring at the flickering shadows cast by the fire.)
LUCIAN: (quietly) "Because he took everything from me."
ELARA: (softly) "What did he take?"
LUCIAN: "My family. My title. My life."
(Elara's breath catches. She had heard rumors—whispers of a fallen noble, a warrior who once stood at the king's side. But no one had ever spoken of Lucian's past in detail.)
ELARA: "You were a noble?"
LUCIAN: (chuckles bitterly) "I was more than that."
ELARA: (frowning) "Then why does no one remember?"
LUCIAN: "Because Aldric made sure of it. He erased my name from history, branded me a traitor, and cast me into exile."
(Elara studies him, her mind spinning. If this was true, then Lucian had more reason to hate the king than she realized.)
ELARA: (whispering) "And now you live as the Sinner."
LUCIAN: (mocking) "A fitting title, don't you think?"
ELARA: (firmly) "No."
(Lucian blinks, surprised by her conviction. She meets his gaze, unwavering.)
ELARA: "You were wronged. That doesn't make you a sinner."
LUCIAN: (smirking) "And yet, the gods marked me as one."
ELARA: "Maybe the gods are wrong."
(Lucian lets out a soft laugh, shaking his head. For a moment, something shifts in his expression—something vulnerable. But it's gone in an instant, replaced by his usual mask of indifference.)
LUCIAN: "Enough about me. Your turn."
ELARA: (hesitating) "What do you want to know?"
LUCIAN: "Where is the proof?"
ELARA: (exhales) "It's hidden in the temple ruins beyond the eastern ridge."
LUCIAN: (raising an eyebrow) "The ruins are forbidden territory."
ELARA: (nodding) "Exactly. Which is why the king hasn't found it."
LUCIAN: "And you trust that it's still there?"
ELARA: "I have to."
(Lucian watches her carefully. He can hear the desperation in her voice, the weight of her secret pressing down on her. Finally, he sighs and stretches his arms.)
LUCIAN: "Then I suppose we have a journey ahead of us."
ELARA: (blinking) "You'll take me there?"
LUCIAN: (grinning) "I did promise to protect you, didn't I?"
ELARA: "I just assumed you'd break that promise."
LUCIAN: (mock-offended) "You wound me, little witch."
(Elara almost smiles, but then a sharp noise outside makes them both tense. Lucian moves before she can react, drawing a dagger from his belt and pressing a finger to his lips.)
LUCIAN: (whispering) "Stay here."
ELARA: (gripping her own dagger) "Like hell I will."
(Lucian smirks before slipping into the shadows, silent as death. Elara grips her weapon tightly, heart pounding as she listens to the sounds outside. A rustling. A low growl. Then—a voice.)
UNKNOWN VOICE: "We know you're in there, Draven."
(Elara stiffens. Lucian appears at the cave entrance, his expression unreadable. He glances back at her, tilting his head.)
LUCIAN: (quietly) "Looks like we have company."
(Elara exhales, steadying herself. Whatever was coming, she would face it. With him.)
[To Be Continued…]