🕯️ Scene 1 — The Nightmare
[Stage lights dim. The sound of thunder rolls. A faint scream echoes through darkness. Flames flicker across the stage backdrop.]
VOICE (female, distant)
Adio… find the code… before it finds you.
[Adrian wakes with a violent gasp, sitting up on his bed. Sweat glistens on his forehead. He looks around, dazed.]
ADRIAN
(whispering)
The same dream again…
[He turns to his clock — 2:17 a.m.]
ADRIAN (cont'd)
Every night. Same time. Same voice.
[He rubs his wrist and freezes — a glowing mark faintly burns beneath the skin. He stares in shock.]
ADRIAN
What… what is this?
[The mark fades instantly. Adrian stands, walks to the mirror. His reflection stares back — tired, confused. Then the reflection smiles on its own.]
ADRIAN
(startled)
Who are you?!
[Reflection fades. Adrian backs away, breathing fast.]
ADRIAN (to himself)
Get a grip, Cole. It's just stress. Too many cases. Too little sleep.
📞 Scene 2 — The Call
[His phone rings. The sound cuts through silence.]
ADRIAN
(into phone)
Hello?
VOICE (distorted)
You cracked our trail… You shouldn't have.
[Static. The call ends abruptly. Adrian stares at his phone.]
ADRIAN
Cracked what trail? Who are you?!
[He rushes to his laptop, types rapidly. The screen flickers, then a new message appears.]
COMPUTER SCREEN (projected on backdrop):
"WELCOME BACK, ADIO."
[Adrian freezes.]
ADRIAN
Who's sending this? How do they know that name?
[A knock at the door — three slow taps.]
ADRIAN
(aiming pistol)
Who's there?
[Silence. He opens the door slowly. No one is there — just a black envelope lying on the floor.]
ADRIAN
(picking it up)
What now?
[He opens it. Inside: one small note.]
ADRIAN (reading)
"The code reborn. The life resumed."
[He looks around, breathing heavily.]
ADRIAN
Someone's playing with me… and they know too much.
[The lights flicker. A faint whisper fills the room.]
VOICE (echoing)
Welcome back.
[Adrian spins around, aiming the gun — nothing there.]
ADRIAN (shouting)
Show yourself!
[Only silence. The lights fade.]
☀️ Scene 3 — Morning in Lagos
[Sound of traffic, horns, and hawkers fills the stage. Adrian drives through an invisible city. Sunlight effect appears.]
ADRIAN (voice-over)
Lagos — the city that never sleeps. But today, even she feels haunted.
[He arrives at the precinct. Detective Ikenna enters, sipping coffee.]
IKENNA
(laughing)
O boy, you look like you fought a ghost.
ADRIAN
Maybe I did.
IKENNA
Huh?
ADRIAN
Forget it. What's new on the Syndicate file?
IKENNA
Nothing. Just the same coded transactions. You cracked something yesterday, right?
ADRIAN
Yeah… a repeating tag — "ADIO-34." Means nothing, maybe everything.
IKENNA
(chuckling)
You tech guys and your mysteries. Take a break before you start dreaming in code.
[Ikenna exits, still laughing. Adrian sits, staring at his screen. The lights dim slightly.]
💻 Scene 4 — The Discovery
[Adrian's laptop glows. He scrolls through encrypted data.]
ADRIAN (muttering)
Project Rebirth… what is this?
[He clicks open a file. A woman's face flashes briefly on the screen — Amara.]
ADRIAN (shocked)
Amara…
[He pulls out an old photograph from his pocket — same woman.]
ADRIAN (quietly)
You were supposed to be gone.
[The lights flicker again — faint whispers fill the room.]
VOICES (whispering, overlapping)
Find the code… find her… find yourself…
ADRIAN
(yelling)
Get out of my head!
[Everything stops. Silence.]
ADRIAN (breathing hard)
Whoever you are… whatever this is… I'm coming for answers.
[He grabs his jacket, tucks the photo inside, and exits. The sound of Lagos traffic swells again.]
🌆 Scene 5 — The Watcher
[Dim red light. Somewhere across the stage, a woman sits in shadow typing on a laptop.]
AMARA (softly)
He's awake.
[She pauses, typing again.]
AMARA (cont'd)
The code has begun.
[Thunder rumbles. Lights fade to black.]
🎬 End of Episode 1