### ** sinner **
** [Scene: Forest Path - Midnight] **
*(Elara, Lucian and Seraphine move quickly through the dark forest and insert as much distance as possible with each other and destroyed towers. The vision still persists in Elar's mind - transforming her father, betrayal, truth about Lucian's ancestor. Silence between them is strong, tense.)*)*)*)*)*)*)*)*)*)*)*)*)*)*)*
** Lucian: ** (clenched teeth) "We should talk about it."
** Elara: ** (sharp) "No."
** serraphine: ** (ridicule) "Oh, I love*tense silence. It really determines the mood."
** Lucian: ** (Ignoring Seraphine) "Elara, you can't just ignore what we have seen."
** Elara: ** (angry) "What do you want me to say, lucian? That my father was a monster? That your family was the one who took it off? That everything I thought I knew about my past is a lie?"
** Lucian: ** (firm) "Yes. Because that's true."
*(Elara suddenly stops, swirling at him.)*
** Elara: ** (furiously) "You don't have to decide what my truth is!"
** Lucian: ** (corresponding to her tone) "I don't decide*nothing*. I just don't want you to lie to yourself!"
** serraphine: ** (grinning) "Oh, that's good*."
*(Elara and Lucian shoot her but simply shrugs.)*
** seraphine: ** "What? You Two you circled it for*days*.
** Elara: ** (mumble) "You are impossible."
** serraphine: ** (cheerfully) "I'll try it."
*(Lucian stretches her hair, clearly frustrated.)*
** Lucian: ** (softer) "Elara… I know it's not easy."
** Elara: ** (quietly) "You know nothing."
*(Lucian sighs but does not argue. He knows that she is pushing her too hard, just worse things. The three will continue walking, the weight of the unspoken words hangs hard.)*
** [Scene: Riverbank - a few hours later] **
(Stops by the small river to relax. The water shines slightly under the moonlight, reflects the stars above. Seraphine sits on the rock, lazily turns the dagger between the fingers. Lucian is kneeling by the water and spraying his face.
** serraphine: ** (teasing) "So what is the plan, the fearless leader?"
** Elara: ** (remotely) "I don't know."
** Lucian: ** (looked up) "We have to find out where your father is. Oracle said he was*waiting for you*."
** Elara: ** (bitter) "And that is to help?"
** Lucian: ** (seriously) "This means he's alive."
** seraphine: ** (grinning) "which is*fascinating*, indeed. Unfortunate kings, dark negotiations, ancient prophecies - these are things legend."
** Elara: ** (frustrated) "It's not a story*, serraphine. It's my life."
** serraphine: ** (shrugs) "Stories and lives are not so different, princess."
*(Elara turns away and wipes his temples. Exhaustion - emotional and physical - catching up.)*
** Elara: ** (quietly) "Just ... I don't know what to do."
** Lucian: ** (standing) "We'll figure it out. Together."
*(Elara looks at him, something illegible in her expression. Then the trees are carrying a whisper voice.)*
** Voice whispering: ** "Looking for answers ... You dare to marry them?"
*(All three freezing. The air around them moves and cools.)*
** serraphine: ** (grinning) "Well, it's not*ominous."
** Lucian: ** (Hand on Sword) "Who's there?"
*(Shadows near the river are deepening and circling unnaturally. The figure enters forward - a woman masked in dark robes, her face covered.) **
** Mysterious woman: ** "The past does not sleep, nor do it forgive."
*(Elarin breath.
** Elara: ** (Careful) "Who are you?"
*(A woman lifts the hood and reveals a face -like face.
** Mysterious woman: ** "I'm the shadow of what was lost."
** Lucian: ** (tense) "enough puzzles. Speak clearly."
** Mysterious woman: ** (smiles slightly) "Very well. I'm Isolde, Queen forgotten."
*(Elara's heart will skip the rhythm.)*
** Elara: ** (impressed) "Queen…? What?"
** Isolde: ** (amused) "From what is left, a little princess."
*(Seraphine leans forward, biased.)*
** serraphine: ** "Let me guess - you*love*long walks through scary castles and occasional blood ritual?"
** ISOLDE: ** (smiling) "I see that he is surrounded by a charming society."
** Lucian: ** (flat) "Why are you here?"
** Isolde: ** (Elara's follow -up) "Because he is*ready*."
*(Elara solidifies.)*
** Elara: ** "Ready for*what*?"
** ISOLDE: ** (quietly) "say what you have taken. You want to take place."
** Elara: ** (firm) "I don't want a place in*."
** Isolde: ** (grinned) "You have no choice, baby. Blood in your veins binds you to the past."
** Lucian: ** (step forward) "If you think we just let you manipulate -"
** ISOLDE: ** (laughs) "Oh, knight, you don't understand. I'm not*offer*something.
*(Elara hesitates.)*
** Elara: ** (quietly) "War me to war on what?"
*(Isolde's expression changes seriously.)*
** Isolde: ** "The sinner returns."
*(Followed by severe silence. Elara feels the words settle down deep into her bones, like the prophecy that spoken aloud.)*
** Lucian: ** (Low Voice) "What do you mean*Return*?"
** Isolde: ** "Your father wakes up, Elara. And when he does ... he will come for you."
*(Elara feels that her blood is running cold.)*
** Elara: ** (Whispering) "Why?"
** Isolde: ** (quietly) "Because they believe you are the key to completing what it started."
*(The forest seems to darken, the weight of the truth is pushing them down.)*
** serraphine: ** (tilts her head) "Well, that*sounds somewhat dramatically. What is the catch?"
** Isolde: ** (weakly smiles) "catch, dear assassine, is that only Elara can stop him."
*(Elara swings slightly, the weight of all of this threatens to crush it. Lucian performs beside her and soothes her hand on his arm.)
Elara: (barely over whisper) "How?"
Isolde: "You already know."
(And with these latest words Isolde disappears into the shadows and leaves behind only silence.)
[Continue…]