[Opening Scene]

(Screen fades in to reveal a foggy, desolate landscape in Eastern Europe, early dawn. Snowflakes fall lightly, settling on broken machinery, scorched fields, and skeletal trees.)

Narration (Voice-over)

Soft and somber.

"War is a fire that devours everything in its path... but it is those who stoke the flames who must reckon with the ashes."

Scene 1: Arrival at the Eastern Front

(A convoy of worn, exhausted soldiers trudges down a muddy road, their faces haggard, eyes dull. The sounds of distant artillery echo across the barren fields.)

CUT TO: Close-up of Hans Reiner, a 19-year-old German soldier with a torn expression and a furrowed brow. He watches as frost clings to the rifles of his comrades. His inner conflict is evident in his eyes.

Hans (Inner Monologue)

Reflective, uncertain.

“Two years… how long have I been here? It feels like a lifetime.”

Soldier 1 (beside Hans, nudging him)

"Hey, Reiner! Snap out of it. We’re here."

Hans

Snaps out of his thoughts and straightens up, nodding to his comrade with a forced smile.

"Right… just lost in thought."

CUT TO: The convoy halts as they arrive at a small, war-torn village. Houses lie in ruins, windows shattered, with a haunting silence surrounding the place.

Captain Klaus

Strong, authoritative, addressing the men in a strict tone.

"Men, this is where we establish a forward outpost. Stay sharp. The enemy may be closer than we think."

Scene 2: The Outpost

(Hans is assigned a guard post along with a few other soldiers. He watches as locals pass by, their faces filled with fear and resentment. One of the soldiers, Otto, sneers at the civilians.)

Otto

With a mocking grin.

"Look at them, like rats scurrying from the light. They’d turn us over to the Soviets without a second thought."

Hans (frowning)

"Maybe they’re just trying to survive, Otto. This is their home, after all."

Otto

Shrugging, looking unimpressed.

"Survival means loyalty. If they aren’t with us, they’re against us."

CUT TO: Hans looks away, uncomfortable, the conflict deepening in his expression.

Hans (Inner Monologue)

Reflecting.

“I didn’t sign up for this... to tear apart people’s lives. And yet, here I am, a part of it all.”

Scene 3: A Tragic Encounter

(The scene shifts to nighttime. Hans is on patrol when he hears faint sobbing from behind one of the ruined houses. He carefully approaches and discovers a young girl, about six years old, clutching a torn doll, her face streaked with tears.)

Hans (whispering gently)

"Hey… are you lost?"

(The girl flinches, shrinking away, her eyes wide with fear.)

Girl (whispering, voice trembling)

"Mama… she’s gone."

Hans

Reaches out, his face softening.

"It’s okay, I’m not here to hurt you."

(Before Hans can say more, Captain Klaus approaches from the shadows, his expression stern and unyielding.)

Captain Klaus

Coldly.

"Reiner, what do you think you’re doing?"

Hans

Straightens up, his hand still extended protectively in front of the girl.

"Sir, she’s just a child. Alone in this… madness."

Captain Klaus

Glares, his tone biting.

"This is war, Reiner. We can’t afford weakness. You’d do well to remember that."

(Klaus signals another soldier to take the girl away. Hans watches, helpless, as she’s led into the darkness.)

Hans (Inner Monologue)

Filled with remorse.

"Is this what I’ve become? A ghost, swept along in a tide of destruction?"

Scene 4: The Burden of Conscience

(The following day, Hans joins a squad to raid a nearby farm suspected of hiding enemy soldiers. As they approach, he sees a family gathered, looking terrified.)

Otto

Pointing his rifle at the family, barking orders.

"Show us what you’re hiding!"

(The family shouts in their native language, pleading, but Otto’s finger twitches on the trigger.)

Hans

Steps forward, his voice shaking slightly.

"Otto, enough. They’re unarmed. Let them be."

Otto

Glares back, irritated.

"What, are you going soft, Reiner? Maybe you should join them."

(Hans clenches his jaw, the tension between him and Otto simmering. Finally, Captain Klaus intervenes.)

Captain Klaus

Sharply.

"Stand down, both of you! We’re here to eliminate threats, not fight amongst ourselves. Reiner, fall back."

(Hans reluctantly steps back, his fists still clenched. He watches as the raid continues, feeling a growing weight in his chest.)

Hans (Inner Monologue)

“Every day, I feel myself slipping further away… from who I used to be. How long can a man stay whole when everything around him falls to pieces?”

Scene 5: An Unlikely Alliance

(That night, Hans sits alone, staring at the sky, the distant sound of explosions in the background. A fellow soldier, Friedrich, joins him.)

Friedrich

Quietly.

"You’re not the only one struggling, you know."

Hans

Sighs, looking down.

"How do you keep going, Friedrich? Every day it feels… heavier."

Friedrich

Reflectively.

"Maybe we can’t change the orders we’re given. But maybe we can hold on to what’s left of our humanity, even if it’s just in small ways."

Hans

With a glimmer of hope.

"Small ways… like mercy?"

Friedrich

Nods, offering a slight smile.

"Mercy, yes. It might be all we have left."

[Ending Scene]

(The screen fades as Hans and Friedrich sit side by side in silence, the weight of the war hanging heavily on their shoulders.)

Ending Narration (Voice-over)

Somber, reflective.

"Even in the darkest places, a glimmer of light may linger. But can it survive the shadow of war?"

[End of Episode 1]