FADE IN:
EXT. ANCIENT CITY - NIGHT
The moon hangs ominously over a city in ruins. Shadows dance across the cobblestones. We hear distant whispers, cries of the damned, and the occasional howl of a beast.
NARRATOR (V.O.)
In a world where darkness reigns and light is but a fading memory, there lies a tale untold, a truth hidden within the shadows. The devil, they say, is innocent.
EXT. CITY SQUARE - NIGHT
A cloaked figure, LUCIA (late 20s), moves stealthily through the square, clutching a weathered map. Her eyes, a striking blue, contrast with the gloom around her. She halts at the center, where a faded sigil is etched into the ground.
LUCIA
(whispering)
This must be the place.
Suddenly, a gust of wind extinguishes the torches around her. From the shadows emerges ALARIC (30s), a brooding figure with a scarred face.
ALARIC
You're meddling with forces beyond your understanding, Lucia.
LUCIA
(turning to face him)
I seek the truth, Alaric. Nothing more.
ALARIC
(stepping closer)
The truth you seek may consume you.
LUCIA
(defiant)
Then let it.
INT. UNDERGROUND TEMPLE - NIGHT
Lucia and Alaric descend into an ancient temple, its walls adorned with cryptic symbols. At the far end, a stone altar stands before a massive, ironbound door.
ALARIC
(gesturing to the door)
Beyond that door lies the one you seek. But beware, Lucia. The devil is not what you think.
LUCIA
(approaching the door)
I must know.
With a deep breath, Lucia pushes the door open, revealing a dark chamber. In the center, chained and bound, is LUCIFER (eternal, ageless), his once-mighty form now gaunt and broken. His eyes, however, burn with a fierce intelligence.
LUCIFER
(weakly)
Who dares enter my prison?
LUCIA
(stepping forward)
I am Lucia. I seek the truth of your innocence.
LUCIFER
(smirking)
Innocence... a fragile word. What do you know of it?
LUCIA
I've seen the darkness in men, the cruelty and the lies. I believe you are not the root of evil.
ALARIC
(from behind)
Lucia, step back. This is a trap.
LUCIFER
(struggling against his chains)
You are right, child. I am not the cause of humanity's darkness. I was cast down for defying tyranny, for seeking to give mankind the gift of free will.
LUCIA
(pleading)
Then why do they fear you? Why do they paint you as the villain?
LUCIFER
(smiling sadly)
Because it is easier to blame a fallen angel than to confront their own sins.
ALARIC
(drawing his sword)
Enough of this! We came here to rid the world of you, not to hear your lies!
LUCIFER
(eyes locking onto Alaric)
You know the truth, Alaric. You were there.
Lucia turns to Alaric, shock and confusion on her face.
LUCIA
Alaric, what is he talking about?
ALARIC
(sighing)
It is true, Lucia. I was once his guardian, his jailer. But I saw the truth and fled, leaving him to this fate.
LUCIA
(furious)
You knew all this time and said nothing?
ALARIC
(defensive)
I was protecting you!
LUCIFER
(laughing weakly)
Protection or control, Alaric?
INT. UNDERGROUND TEMPLE - NIGHT
The walls tremble as if responding to Lucifer's laughter. The chains binding him begin to glow, and a low hum fills the air.
LUCIA
(urgently)
We have to free him. The world must know the truth.
ALARIC
(panicked)
No, Lucia! You don't understand the consequences!
LUCIFER
(struggling harder)
The choice is yours, Lucia. Free me, and the truth will be revealed. But know this: once unchained, I cannot return to this prison.
Lucia hesitates, torn between Alaric's warnings and the burning need for truth.
LUCIA
(steeling herself)
I believe in redemption.
Lucia steps forward, reaching for the chains. As she touches them, a blinding light envelops the chamber.
ALARIC
(screaming)
No, Lucia!
INT. UNDERGROUND TEMPLE - NIGHT
The light fades, revealing Lucifer standing tall, free from his chains. His presence is overwhelming, a mixture of beauty and terror.
LUCIFER
(smiling)
Thank you, Lucia. The world shall now see me as I truly am.
ALARIC
(desperate)
What have you done?
Lucia turns to Alaric, her expression resolute.
LUCIA
I set him free. The world deserves to know the truth, no matter the cost.
EXT. ANCIENT CITY - NIGHT
Lucifer steps out into the city, his eyes surveying the ruins with a mixture of sorrow and determination.
LUCIFER
(to himself)
It begins anew.
As he walks away, dark clouds gather in the sky, and a storm brews.
NARRATOR (V.O.)
The truth is but a double-edged sword, cutting through lies yet capable of wounds unseen. The devil's innocence is but the beginning of a tale untold.
FADE OUT.
EXT. ANCIENT CITY - NIGHT
The storm intensifies, lightning crackling across the sky. In the distance, a dark figure watches from the shadows, eyes gleaming with a sinister light.
FIGURE
(whispering)
The end is nigh.
FADE TO BLACK.
TO BE CONTINUED...