SC. 2 ) ARUNA Brings Chaos Inside HARU's Residence

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INT. SOLAR LAND - IMPERIAL PALACE'S ASSEMBLY HALL

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Nestled in the heart of the blazing Imperial Palace, the Assembly Hall stands cloaked in infrared shadows. Flames dance along the walls, casting an eerie glow upon the Guardians, representatives from every corner of the Solar System, frozen in their assigned positions. Tension hangs heavy, mirroring the weight of the situation gripping the realm.

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"There's an undeniable need for change," YUMI, Earth's Guardian, speaks standing in her place. Her voice laces with worry. Her emerald eyes flicker, reflecting the flames' distorted dance.

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"Our people… they starve," she exclaims, frustration creeping into her tone.

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"Yumi, we understand" MUOH, Mercury's Guardian, mutters, forced calm barely concealing his exasperation. "But voicing it for the eighth time in one day…"

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"But it's concerning...!" YUMI cuts him off, desperate to explain. But MUOH, mindful of the others, cut her short.

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"It will be addressed," he sighs, trying not to snap. "Let's be patient and wait for His Highness."

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She attempts to compose herself, but the worry remains etched on her face. If only Aruna was still here...

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"Where is His Highness?" YUMI demands, her voice sharp, directed at the silent servants flanking her. The young girls tremble, afraid of her imposing presence.

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A sudden known figure emerges from the shadows, sending a ripple of surprise through the Guardians.

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"The rising cosmic energies concern us all, Yumi," ARUNA speaks calmly, facts dripping from her voice. Stepping into the room, an unsettling aroma of burnt metal clings to her. "Shouting solves nothing." I already know this voice...

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"Aruna?" YUMI whispers, her voice catches in disbelief. Am I hallucinating...

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ARUNA's eyes gleam with an intensity that mirrors the flames. She is here, but...

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She strides towards the central platform, her footsteps echoing in the silence. As she takes her seat, once occupied by the absent HARU, unease settles over the hall. It doesn't seem she...

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A tense silence descends. Guardians exchange wary glances, suspicion simmering. ARUNA's presence casts a long shadow, her motives shrouded in darkness. She smirks, staring at the doors in the opposite side of the hall.

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"How dare you interrupt!" The imperial guards at the main entrance struggle to hold back two young boys. Their frantic whispers draw attention. Then, the doors burst open. Two imperial palace servants rush in. Their faces, drained of color, carry news for the Guardians. Today's Aruna...

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"His Highness,..." The eldest servant stammers, words fail him. His eyes widen in terror. He exchanges a panicked glance with his companion, dread settling in their hearts.

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ARUNA observes them. Her eyes fix on reciprocating the stares of the two servants on the opposite side of the room. She keeps on smirking and grabs her moon dagger. She swings it in front of her face with three fingers of her right hand.

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The guardians, unaware, slightly lean forward the two servants. Anticipation twists their stomachs.

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YUMI observes both, the servants at the doors and ARUNA. She isn't...

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"His Highness, he... has perished." The younger servant blurts. His voice trembles. "We found him near the abandoned entrance gate of his residence, still and unconscious on the ground."

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ARUNA  ignores their statement and starts playing with the moon dagger slipcase. A gasp ripples through the hall. Guardians stare at each other, disbelief etched on their faces. Shock clouds their voices.

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MUOH focuses on what the two servants' eyes are fixed on. The ARUNA's moon dagger.

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He stands up. His eyes burn with rage. His gaze falls upon her, and his suspicions have transformed into accusations. What if...

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"Aruna, it was you! You killed HARU!" he roared. His voice thick with rage.

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ARUNA turns her attention to MUOH, her expression unreadable. A chilling smile creeps across her face, sending shivers down spines.

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"What if it was?" she replies. Her voice calm amidst the storm.

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The hall falls silent, stunned by her audacity. MUOH's anger, momentarily tempered by her unsettling composure, fuels his resolve. He raises his weapon, a fierce mallet, ready to strike.

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"I would take your life at this exact moment!" he shouts, advancing towards her.

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ARUNA's smile widens. Her eyes glint with a dangerous spark.

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"Can you, alone, save the whole Solar System?" she asks, her voice laced with thinly veiled threats.

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MUOH falters, mallet suspended in mid-air. He surveys the hall, meeting the worried faces of his fellow Guardians. They share his despair.

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"You would undoubtedly try your best to save Mercury," ARUNA continues, her voice dripping with mocking confidence. "...but who guarantees the others' safety?"

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"None," she smirks, "not even yourself."

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Guardians shift uncomfortably. MUOH lowers his arm. The mallet clatters harmlessly to the floor. Defeat hangs heavy, settling like ashes in his chest. ARUNA speaks the truth, bitter as it is...

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"What about you?" MUOH counters, desperation lacing his voice. The solar system teeters on the brink, and victory is far from assured even with all their combined might. "What can you, a former guardian, do?"

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ARUNA's smile deepens, her eyes holding a secret glint.

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"Who do you think can save Haru?" she asks. Her voice soft yet laced with an edge. "The one who has the power to kill him or the one who had no power to save him?" Oh, Aruna...

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Her words hang heavy in the air, each syllable echoing the doubt simmering within them.

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"What…" escapes Yumi's lips. Silence stretches, suffocating and thick. Her voice, once laced with disbelief, now carries a tremor of fear. What have you done...

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ARUNA stands. Her elegant silhouette stark against the flickering flames.

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"The answer..." she says, staring at YUMI. Her voice barely a whisper. "...lies in the very darkness you've always feared." She still...

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"Haru is savable, but..." she turns her attention to MUOH. Her gaze sweeps across the anxious faces. "darkness demands a price. Are you prepared to pay for it?" she slowly inquires.

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The question hangs heavy in the air. The Guardians stare at each other. Inaction spells certain doom.

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MUOH clenches his jaw. "For the Solar System,..." he grunts. His voice resolute. "...we are."

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The fate of the solar system is at stake, and the guardians are left to grapple with the terrifying reality that their lives may depend on the very person they suspect of murdering the Solar System's pillar.

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[SCENE END]

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What is the relationship between YUMI and ARUNA?

Where does ARUNA's power come from?

Will ARUNA save HARU?

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