Echoes of a False Salvation.

Int. Blake's Room | Kilimanjaro, Tanzania | Morning.

Blake Balthasar, a 24-year-old university dropout, sits in a dimly lit room. A small fan spins slowly above. A small, old television plays Global News.

News Anchor (on-screen)

"Another explosion in Seoul hospital has occurred as the D.V. syndrome continues spreading rapidly. Reports say victims of this new gen-disease, currently referred to as 'Mindless,' are developing inhuman abilities, making them nearly impossible for doctors to control."

[CUT TO: TV SCREEN]

Footage shows people being rescued after the explosion. A doctor on a gurney screams in pain, his arm torn apart and face bloodied, as he's rushed to an ambulance.

Blake drew in a slow, steady breath and let it drift out, then mutters, "It all happened so fast."

Suddenly, his phone buzzes. A message from "Babu" reads: "Come to the market when you wake up."

News Anchor (continues):

"Authorities urge citizens to avoid direct exposure to products made from Datium—a mineral once praised for its technological potential, now seen as the root of the outbreak."

Later that day in a Local Repair Shop.

Blake works part-time at his grandfather's electronic repair shop. A customer enters.

Customer (whispering): "You still sell those Datium chargers, the ones that… you know"

Blake jaws tightens.

Blake (dry): "Banned for a good reason."

Customer: "But they worked, man. They made everything better. Faster."

Blake gazes at him with indifference.

Customer (leaving, muttering): "Blah…Blah… Blah. Whatever, man."

Babu (entering): "Blake, deliver this to Mrs. Monde. Take the back route—the city's locked down tighter than ever."

[CUT TO: Garage]

Blake starts a moped.

Streets of Kilimanjaro | Noon.

Blake cruises down the tense, crowded streets on his moped, its engine buzzing quietly amidst the distant chaos. The streets are alive with movement, but there's an undeniable air of unease. Billboard's flash urgent warnings: SHOULD THEY FORGET — RUN.

As Blake navigates through the traffic, soldiers are posted on every corner, stopping and scanning citizens' IDs. His grip tightens on the handlebars. His moped slows as he passes, the feeling of being watched settling in.

In the distance, a girl screams, her voice breaking through the tension. Blake looks toward her, his face grim. The girl stumbles, eyes wide and crazed, as soldiers rush to subdue her. Blake instinctively looks away, but it's too late—their eyes have already locked on him.

A group of soldiers begins to approach Blake. One of them calls out.

Soldier 1: "Hey kid! You think you can just ride around here without a proper Identification?"

Blake's heart races as he slows to a halt. His palms sweat, and his moped shakes under him. He can feel their eyes piercing through him, the weight of their authority heavy in the air.

Soldier 2 (mockingly): "What's this? A moped? What are you running from, huh?"

Blake, unable to look them in the eye, keeps his head low, hoping the moment passes. His chest tightens as they get closer, their laughter filling the air.

Soldier 1 (scoffing): "You better turn around and get out of here, before we decide to remind you who's in charge."

Blake starts the engine again, but it stutters. He fumbles with the throttle, frustration clear on his face, as the soldiers watch with amusement. The tension hangs in the air, thick and suffocating.

The moment passes as the soldiers move on, but Blake's hands tremble. He accelerates quickly, desperate to distance himself from the encounter, the sting of humiliation lingering.

[Flashback Montage]

Narrator (voice-over):

"It all began with a discovery—one that changed everything. Deep in the heart of Tanzania, miners unearthed a glowing mineral, Datium. At first, it was praised as humanity's greatest advancement."

[News Headlines]

"Humanity's Next Leap Forward"

"Military Research begins..."

"Datium Powers Everything: Homes, Tech, and Vehicles— A New Era Begins."

[News Footage – A bustling city, vibrant with the promise of new technology.]

The mineral's glow illuminates homes, military vehicles, and streets. People's lives seem to be enhanced, with technology advancing at an unprecedented rate.

 Narrator (voice-over, shifting tone):

"But progress came with a cost."

The news cycle spiraled into panic. Headlines flashed across screens with growing urgency:

Side effects begin: memory loss, aggression, unexplained violence.

Datium poisoning: a rising threat to humanity.

Reports of sudden deaths. Hospitals overwhelmed.

[Footage of Chaos]

A family, once thriving, now struggles as the effects of Datium begin to ravage their lives. A once peaceful street becomes chaotic, people fighting in the streets, desperate for answers. The glow of Datium seems ominous now, rather than hopeful.

Narrator (voice-over, serious):

"As Datium spread, it mutated. What began as a source of infinite power became a weapon of destruction. Governments faltered. Systems collapsed. The disease, later named D.V.S. (Datium Variant Syndrome), turned the world upside down."

[Cut to – Footage of Destruction]

Buildings collapse. Military forces are overrun. Scientists and experts scramble to understand the full extent of the disease. Reports of strange new individuals, now called 'Mindless,' surface across the world—beings who no longer resemble the people they once were.

Narrator (voice-over, sad):

"The world had forgotten its name, its purpose... and what it once was."

In the heart of Berlin, the city lay in ruins.

Fires, destroyed buildings, bodies. Soldiers fire at a D.V.S. patient, but bullets have no effect.

With a wave of his hand, the Mindless cuts soldiers in half. Blood everywhere. One soldier shakily grabs a knife.

The Mindless releases a scream so powerful, soldiers' heads explode. One soldier charge—but the Mindless vanishes, reappears behind him.

Mindless (whispers): "How does it feel to die?"

He bites the soldier's neck—his head comes off in one brutal bite.

Back in Kilimanjaro, Blake sat beside Babu and his cousin Zola, the three of them gathered around the flickering television. The room was silent but for the low hum of the broadcast, each face locked in a tense, breathless stare. On-screen, a live feed streamed from the Global Command Centre— a place far away, but now terrifyingly relevant.

The news anchor's voice cracked slightly as she spoke, her expression tight with barely contained panic.

Babu (faintly): "Wh… what is that?"

The glass slips from Babu's hand, shattering against the floor in a burst of sound and silence.

The television crackled with static before the anchor's voice cut through—tense, hurried.

"Breaking news from Chicago. A D.V. patient of unknown classification has killed at least forty-two civilians and nine soldiers. Estimated strength: unknown."

The screen shifted again.

A cloaked man emerged slowly through a thick veil of smoke, his figure blurred but deliberate.