Chapter 1: The Awakening
INT. CLASSROOM - DAY
The classroom buzzes with excited chatter. Students, faces flushed with a mix of anticipation and nervousness, discuss the day's Awakening.
On a bench, DEV (16), slouched and seemingly asleep, stirs. His friend FATTY (16), a whirlwind of energy, shakes him vigorously.
FATTY
Dude, wake up! It's our turn! You're gonna miss it!
Dev groans, blinking slowly.
DEV
(Muttering)
Five more minutes...
FATTY
(Panicked)
Five more minutes?! You're gonna be late! Remember what happened to Kevin last year? He missed the whole thing!
Dev sits up, rubbing his eyes.
DEV
Okay, okay, I'm awake. What's the schedule again?
Fatty pulls out a crumpled piece of paper.
FATTY
You're up first. Then me. Then Sarah.
Dev feels a strange tingling sensation, a low hum vibrating in his ears. Suddenly, a voice, clear and distinct, echoes in his mind:
VOICE
Ding.
Dev jolts, his eyes widening. He frantically scans the room, searching for the source of the voice. There's nothing. Just the usual classroom chaos.
Then, he sees it.
Hovering a few feet above the floor, a shimmering blue panel appears in the air. It pulsates with an inner light, displaying a series of swirling symbols and unfamiliar words.
Dev stares, mesmerized. The other students, oblivious to the panel, continue their excited chatter. Fatty, oblivious to Dev's shock, starts nudging him again.
FATTY
Come on, man! Let's go!
Dev, still fixated on the blue panel, feels a surge of power coursing through him. It's unlike anything he's ever experienced before ā a sense of limitless potential, of untapped strength.
He looks back at Fatty, a newfound confidence in his eyes.
DEV
(To himself)
Ding.
FADE OUT.