The Potion of Deceit

[Opening Scene: Early Morning ― Oike Bridge at Toyohashi City]
Dawn breaks over the city, mist curling across the water beneath Oike Bridge. The air is cool, still. Sam jogs alone, her breath visible in the morning chill. Headphones in. Hood up. The beat of her music pulses with the rhythm of her steps.

She slows near the gazebo that overlooks the water, pausing to stretch. She exhales sharply and begins counting out loud, stretching her legs.
Sam (counting):
“One… two… three…”

As she leans down, the sunlight slices through the trees and hits the roof of the gazebo. She squints upward.

A single crow sits there, watching her.
She smirks and shakes her head. Another lap.
When she circles back, she glances again—three crows.
She doesn’t react. Keeps stretching.
A few minutes pass. She looks again. Five.
One more lap. Sweat beginning to drip.
Ten crows now. All staring. Silent.

Sam straightens. Her instincts flare. Something isn’t right.
She forces a casual breath, pretending she hasn’t noticed. But her fingers close into fists.
Then—silence.

She turns sharply. The gazebo roof is empty. The crows are gone. Suddenly—

WHOOSH.

A swirling black mist erupts behind her, dozens of crows spiraling into a vortex of feathers and smoke. They form a living storm, a black wave that engulfs her. Sam cries out, but the sound is drowned beneath the violent flutter of wings.

In seconds, she is lifted off the ground, consumed by the fog.
The bridge is quiet again.
No one notices she’s gone.

High in the ancient peaks, Judith Mirano stands before the horizon. The golden sunrise glints off her skin like polished bronze. The mountain air is thick with a sacred stillness. Trees sway, as if drawn to her presence. From the west, the breeze hums like a wooden flute.

Beside her, The Voice of the Forest murmurs from the shadows—an unseen presence that resonates through the mountain.
The Voice of the Forest:
“Three days from now, the long wait will end. Rain will fall in torrents. Lightning will strike without mercy. The Storm Maker Machine will be fully charged.”

Judith closes her eyes, inhaling deeply, letting the morning heat kiss her cheeks.
Judith (softly):
“I can smell it… the fragrance of victory. Dence is alive. And now, we have our second prize—the angry girl.”

She glances at her wristwatch, then grins darkly.
Judith:
“Her rage toward Ere… it might become our greatest asset.”
The Voice of the Forest:
“The bitterness of a broken artist births the fiercest lightning. With her fury… the katana of Dence may shatter should he stand against you again.”

Judith tosses her shiny black hair behind her shoulders and lets out a playful, unnatural caw, echoed by the surrounding crows.
Judith:
“Three days. Prepare the veil. When the storm falls, we’ll open the Horaji Portal, and from it, the Realm of the Unwired will awaken. Cloak the Storm Maker in fog and shadow. Let it look like a natural phenomenon.”

From above, a dark cloud descends—a swirling smoke mass, gently lowering a bound figure onto the ground before Judith.

It’s Sam, bruised but glaring.
Judith (gleeful):
“Ahh… here she is. The Hood of the Unwired, burning with fury.”
Sam (snarling):
“Judith. The witch of the Philippines.”
(sarcastic)
“Revenge on the Unwired Realm? How convenient. I’ve got a score to settle with the blue elephant myself.”
Judith (grinning):
“Perfect timing, Sam. That fire in your eyes—it doesn’t say ‘villain’… it says unstoppable.”
(She caresses Sam’s cheek.)
“Tell me what I need to know about the elephant… and I’ll tell you what favor you owe me in return.”
Sam (without hesitation):
“Ko Portal. Ere and the others will be there. Just before the storm.”
Judith (focused):
“You’re certain? He’ll come?”
Sam:
“Exactly 10:47 PM. Ko Train Station Portal. Just as the vision foretold.”

In a misty forest clearing, an abandoned hovel sits crumbling beneath moss and ivy. Inside, Ere, Henry ‘The Arranger’, and the four wolves gather by a flickering lantern, planning in low voices.
Ere (to Henry):
“How exactly did you copy the face of Riza’s partner?”
Henry:
In Romal, my tribe... my father was a chemist and explorer. While searching for white aragonite, he discovered something greater—the Mimic Vine. A living organism… able to duplicate the appearance of anything it wraps around.”
Wolf - Kent:
“So it’s not native to Earth?”
Henry:
“No. Only in the Mirror Realm. My father extracted a formula from it. It works perfectly on Romals. But humans… react violently. One overdose, and their bodies swell, burst. He tried to warn them.”
Wolf - Jason:
“Did all Romals know?”
Henry:
“No. Only the tribal leader and elite alchemists. But my father—he lied to the others. He claimed the potion was from the Whispering Tree bark, to protect the true source.”
Ere (sharp):
“Do you have more?”
Henry (nods):
“Five vials. But each lasts only seven days. After that, I return to Romal form.”

A pause. Riza, still in wolf form, steps forward, sniffing Henry carefully.
Wolf - Riza:
“He’s telling the truth. I smell no deceit. And yes… I can sense the five potions. Hidden in his satchel.”
Henry (surprised):
“You’re good…”

Marvin lifts his wolf head toward the sun, its light fragmented by the shifting leaves.
Wolf - Marvin:
“We’re in these vessels… but I feel it. The old strength. It’s still inside us.”
(beat)
“We just need to remember… how to call it out.”

Suddenly, the wolves freeze.
Ears twitching. Muscles taut.
A low growl rumbles from Marvin’s throat. The others follow suit—Riza’s fur bristles, Jason’s claws scrape the soil, Kent’s eyes flare gold.

Footsteps.

Crunching leaves. Approaching.
Then—
Dence emerges from the shadows.
But he’s not alone.

Beside him walks a fifth wolf. Its presence radiates an ancient strength, a beast reborn from lightning and memory.
Dence (grinning, fully geared):
“Glad I found you guys. And guess what—he found me.” (gestures to the fifth wolf) “This one? Super-sense. Led me here like a bloodhound tuned to destiny.”

He unstraps his gear―a katana gleaming like stormlight. A black guitar inlaid with glowing white aragonite stones. A custom glossokomon—his tongue drum—with guitar pick throwing knives embedded along its edges.
Dence:
“This time, I’m not just playing music—I’m scoring the storm.”
Wolf - Kent (raising a brow):
“Another gig?”
Ere (serious, focused):
“We crossed from the Mirror Realm for a final performance—this one’s for citizen of the realm.”
Wolf - Riza (snarling):
“You better tell us everything, Ere. No more riddles.”

[10:40 PM – Ko Train Station | The Portal Grounds]
The night pulses with youth and low city noise.

Teen couples linger near vending machines, sharing kisses and snacks. They don’t notice the sleek, black Maserati, parked 20 meters away, engine silent, windows tinted.

Sam, disguised under a trench coat and wide newspaper, waits with sharp eyes behind calm pretense.

Hidden above in the station shadows: crows, watching everything.

Inside the car, Judith and Ryuji monitor the scene on a tablet.
Judith (voice smooth but sharp):
“Ere walks right into the trap tonight. Sam’s anger is authentic—we recorded her vow at the Futagawa Warehouse. She wants blood.”
Ryuji (smirking):
“I brought five Romals disguised as Mr. Spence’s Vietnamese footsoldiers. They’ll neutralize the elephant. And if Dence shows up… we clip his strings.”
Judith (checking her watch):
“Seven minutes. Position them.”

Suddenly, her phone rings. Unknown number.
Judith (irritated):
“Who the hell—? Cassy?”
Cassy (voice crackling over the line):
“Sorry, ma’am. I know it’s late. But Mr. Billy… we tracked him. He’s at Hotel Epo. With a Filipina.”

Silence.

Judith’s lips curl into a sneer.
Judith (furious):
“Of course he is.” (snaps at Ryuji) “Handle Ere. I’ve got unfinished business. I will call Aiko to pick you up after 11. I expect results. Photos. Video.”
Ryuji (confident):
“Consider it done.”

Judith slams the door. Her car speeds away toward Hotel Epo.

[10:47 PM]
A small blue elephant shuffles into view.

Couples laugh, assume it’s a mascot. Phones out. Selfies taken.
But Sam moves fast.

With practiced ease, she lunges from her bench and binds the elephant with enchanted rope. The five Romals leap from the shadows, reinforcing the capture.
Ryuji (raising his phone):
“Smile for Judith.”

CLICK. SNAP. SEND.

But something’s off…

[Gamagori City – Dimensional Portal Opening]
Dence turns to the wolves. His eyes gleam with fierce resolve, his breath steady.