martin inner reflection

[INT. DARK ROOM – NIGHT – JAMES' BEDROOM]

James lies on the bed, sweating, twitching in his sleep.

Young James (dreaming)

crying

"Please don't! No… not my mother—no!!"

The shadowy MONSTER slithers in the dark, devouring his family.

Young James (screaming)

"NOOO!!"

James jolts awake, gasping.

James (panting)

"Ah... just a dream."

He reaches for the bottle, takes a long swig, and wipes his mouth. He stares at the table — his eyes narrow.

James (suspicious)

"Wait… was someone here?"

He sees a camera lens glinting faintly across the room.

---

[INT. UNKNOWN ROOM – CAMERA WORKSHOP – NIGHT]

A long table. A man named MATEO drops a small camera in front of MARTIN, who stands calmly, staring at printed photos — one of them shows James sleeping.

Mateo (smirking)

"So... Martin. What do you think?"

Martin (calmly, smiling)

"Hm… He's grown. I can see it in his eyes now. He's evolving."

Mateo

"Beat two of your pawns already. You still want him to grow?"

Martin (soft chuckle)

"Of course. Because there's something in him. That pain, that rage… delicious. I want to see it bloom."

---

[EXT. CRIME SCENE – ALLEYWAY – NEXT DAY]

Brutal scene. A VICTIM'S skin is peeled, mouth open in a scream. A bloody photograph sits beside the body, mid-scream.

Officer

"Sir, we found this… He took a photo of him while he was screaming."

James (gritting teeth)

"He's not just killing… He's collecting agony."

---

[INT. POLICE HQ – NIGHT]

James flips through crime scene photos. Then a voice behind him:

Lucas (calmly)

"Long time."

James (turns, surprised)

"Lucas?! What a surprise…"

Lucas (smiles faintly)

"Yeah… I heard you were deep in this. Couldn't let you have all the fun."

James

"You working this too?"

Lucas

"Killer's a sadist. Doesn't just want death. He wants their suffering — and he's there with them, inside their screams."

Lucas stares at James with a strange familiarity.

Lucas (gently teasing)

"You're still the same stubborn bastard. Rough. Handsome. Reckless."

James (soft chuckle)

"Shut up."

James

"...Did you find anything about Martin?"

Lucas's smile fades. He sits down, serious.

Lucas

"I went to his real hometown. Where it all started."

James (leaning forward)

"And?"

Lucas

"James... Martin was born a monster. I found a woman there… Isabella. Said he was strange since birth. Violent. Lonely. Screaming into the woods, crying..."

Lucas (quietly)

"He used to say, 'Why did you all forget about me?'"

James

"That's... what he said to me once."

Lucas

"He hurt those who showed him love. But those he was truly drawn to? He couldn't kill them. He left them. Spared them."

James looks away, disturbed.

Lucas

"There was an incident... He was crucified once, James. A ritual. A mallet. A twisted cross. They say he died. But from that death... something darker rose."

James (shaken)

"You mean…?"

Lucas

"Not just Martin. Something came through him. He doesn't just drink blood for hunger. He does it to stay alive — soul by soul."

James (quietly)

"Why me…?"

Lucas

"He sees himself in you. That same monster you deny? He embraces it. That's why... he wants your blood."

---

[INT. BALCONY – NIGHT – RAIN POURING]

James smokes. Lights dim. Water dripping. His voice is tired but clear.

James (to himself)

"I don't want this. I never did. I just… want to live a normal life. Laugh. Drink. Be human again…"

He closes his eyes, breathes deeply.

James

"But maybe I was never human in the first place."