COSMOS – BEFORE TIME
A hollow cosmos. No stars, no space—only an endless void stretching without boundary. A black hole slowly expands, like the breath of a cosmic being awakening. It draws everything into itself: traces of light without a source, shadows of objects that never existed, even the impression of civilizations lost before they could form.
The BLACK HOLE PULSES. As if it has a will of its own.
The sky did not fall. It tore. In a place that existed long before time had a name, darkness lived and breathed. Then it exploded.
NOT A SOUNDING EXPLOSION—vacuum knows no noise. This is A BURST OF LIGHT that cleaves existence apart. Cosmic waves ripple outward like rings across water, dividing what was once one into many.
From the heart of that destruction, A MAN (later known as STRAY) is hurled into space. His body drifts without direction; his hair flows in the absence of gravity. His golden-brown eyes reflect fragments of dying galaxies. He does not scream—whether because there is no air, or because he himself does not know who he is.
The black hole expands again—larger, hungrier. TIME slows before it, like water meeting a massive stone in its path.
[CUT TO]
A WOMAN appears amid the scattered remnants of light. A white crown rests upon her head; her silver-gray hair flows like a frozen river. Her eyes are deep blue, like an ocean untouched by sunlight. Her white robe moves gently, unaffected by any known physics.
She raises one hand, effortlessly halting the man's drifting body. Her touch is calm, as though she foresaw the end of everything long before it began.
She draws him closer, gazing at his face with eyes both tender and sorrowful. Her fingers brush softly against his cheek.
Then her hand lowers to the star-shaped pendant hanging from his neck. LIGHT emerges from the pendant—shimmering, pulsing like a heart learning its first beat.
The woman smiles once more. At that very moment, the black hole explodes a second time—greater, more violent—as though reality itself can no longer contain it.
In a fraction of a second, she opens a PORTAL: a circular fracture of light twisting space and time into a spiral. Her gaze remains gentle and mournful.
She pushes the man through.
The portal closes. The void returns to silence.
---
[SCENE TRANSITION – MONTAGE]
STRAY falls through the atmosphere of a planet. His body burns like a meteor; wind roars around him.
A VIOLENT IMPACT as his body strikes the ocean's surface. He sinks into the turbulent blue depths.
Air bubbles slip from his lips.
His eyes snap open. With an instinct he cannot explain, he swims upward.
The ocean surface breaks. He inhales his first breath—as if his lungs have only just been created.
In the distance, land is clearly visible: FIRE devours everything, SMOKE blackens the sky. HUMANS run in desperation, chased by TERRIFYING CREATURES—horned shadows with eyes blazing like eternal embers. SCREAMS echo across the crimson sky.
[CUT TO]
INT. WOODEN HOUSE – MORNING
STRAY awakens, gasping for breath. He looks around: wooden ceiling, wooden walls, the scent of damp wood and dried leaves filling the room. He lies on a simple bed; morning light filters through a small window.
STRAY
(murmuring, confused)
Where am I?
The wooden door creaks open. A YOUNG WOMAN enters—straight black hair with bangs framing her face. Her features are gentle, yet her gaze is sharp, like someone accustomed to reading situations before they read her. This is CAELIA.
CAELIA
Ahh, you're finally awake.
She approaches carrying a glass of clear liquid. Stray slowly sits up; his head feels heavy, as though echoing with fragments of a dream not yet faded.
STRAY
(hesitant)
Who are you? And where is this?
CAELIA
(gently)
Drink first.
Stray takes the glass and drinks. The water is cold and real—proof that this is no dream.
CAELIA
(watching him closely)
Do you remember anything at all?
Stray presses his hand to his head, trying to dig memories from the darkness within. He shakes his head.
STRAY
No. I don't remember anything.
Caelia studies him thoughtfully—there is something strange about him, not merely the loss of memory but an unusual aura.
CAELIA
Do you at least know your name?
Stray shakes his head again. Caelia smiles faintly.
CAELIA
I see. Don't force yourself to remember just yet. May I call you Stray? I found you at the outskirts of Aether, and you don't seem to be from around here.
Stray nods with a faint smile.
STRAY
Thank you.
CAELIA
My name is Caelia. It's nice to meet you.
She reaches out and shakes his hand. Her touch is warm.
Suddenly, something VIBRATES from Caelia's pocket. She retrieves a sleek, tubular communication device. A woman's voice sounds clearly from it.
VOICE FROM DEVICE
(cheerful but urgent)
Hey Caelia, where have you been? You know we've got a mission to locate the Starshores that just fell!
CAELIA
(turning toward the device)
Sorry, I'm on my way. Send me the coordinates.
VOICE FROM DEVICE
Alright, I'll be waiting.
The device stops vibrating.
STRAY
What's going on?
CAELIA
(rising to her feet)
It seems the location of the Starshores has been found. We need to hurry.
Stray frowns.
STRAY
Starshores?
CAELIA
I'll explain on the way. You can ask anything if something isn't clear.
---
[CUT TO]
EXT. HILLS – MORNING
They step out of the wooden house. Green hills stretch beneath a pale sky. In the distance, the remains of Aether stand like the skeletal frame of a once-magnificent civilization.
CAELIA
(walking steadily)
The location isn't far. If you have any questions, don't hesitate.
STRAY
What exactly are these Starshores you mentioned?
Caelia takes a long breath, pausing briefly to explain.
CAELIA
Technically, Starshores are remnants of matter from stellar explosions or cosmic anomalies that pierce our atmosphere. This material doesn't exist on any periodic table—it carries stable radioactive particles but possesses extremely high energy density. In a world as ruined as this, Starshores are the only pure energy source capable of powering our technology.
She folds her arms, her gaze serious.
CAELIA
Everything in the universe—including your body and the air you breathe—is made of atoms. Under normal conditions, atoms obey fixed bonding laws. But radiation from Starshores allows us to manipulate those laws.
She extends her palm. A faint silver sigil on her skin glows softly.
CAELIA
Those of us who can interact with this atomic frequency are called Calibrators. Our ability is called Calibration—the process of synchronizing our internal energy frequency with the molecular structure of an object. By altering the vibration or bonds between atoms, we can change a material's physical properties—make it denser, hotter, or even shatter it.
Caelia's gaze shifts to the golden sword strapped to Stray's back.
CAELIA
You can sharpen your sword further using Calibration as well.
They continue walking. Stray studies his sword for a moment before asking again.
STRAY
If that's the case, why did you look panicked earlier?
Caelia's steps slow. Her face pales slightly.
CAELIA
Unfortunately, wherever there are Starshores, there are also Void Fractures. And from Void Fractures come the monsters we call Aberrants. They're made of dark energy—cruel, and their atomic structures are extremely unstable. Starshores and Void Fractures always appear together.
She stops completely. Even the wind seems to still. The air grows cold and tense.
CAELIA
(smiling faintly)
It seems they heard us talking about them.
Stray turns forward.
Atop the hill stands a towering figure nearly two meters tall. Its elongated body is thin, its skin a deep purplish-black like condensed shadow. Curved horns rise from its head. Its eyes glow red, streaked with violet fissures like cracks of light within darkness. A massive axe is gripped tightly in its hand.
Caelia swiftly draws her blue bow from her back. Stray grips the hilt of his golden sword.
CAELIA
(preparing an arrow)
You haven't forgotten how to fight, have you?
Stray nods. Somehow, his body remembers what his mind cannot grasp.
The ABERRANT leaps. The ground beneath it CRACKS violently.
It hurtles toward them at terrifying speed.
[FADE TO BLACK]
TO BE CONTINUED…