(LOCATION: The entrance courtyard of "The Crucible.")

(The episode opens as the massive steel door slams shut. The four heroes stand in a vast, chaotic indoor yard, illuminated by cold, industrial light. Hundreds of youths in identical grey uniforms move about, their faces a mixture of desperation, aggression, and vigilance. The air hums with the constant roar of machinery and the clang of metal.)

MERENJI: (Looking around with disgust) "This place smells like despair… and rust."

TAHER: (In a low, commanding tone) "Stay together. Don't split up, no matter what. And don't look anyone in the eye."

[SCENE 2]

(The team finds a relatively quiet corner, pretending to be at ease while MADDAH keenly observes the scene.)

MADDAH: (Whispering) "There are rules here… unwritten ones."

(The camera shows us what Maddah sees. A strong youth with an old, scratched card walks confidently through a group of smaller, newer boys. They part for him immediately, lowering their gaze in fear.)

TAHER: (Noticing the same thing) "Look. His card is old. It seems seniority gives you status here."

MERENJI: (Scoffs) "Great. All we have to do is wait a few years for anyone to respect us."

[SCENE 3]

(As they're talking, another group of three fighters walks past. They are powerful, confident, and move like wolves. But TAHER notices something confusing.)

TAHER: (In a low voice, nodding discreetly) "Wait. That doesn't make sense."

(He gestures with his eyes.) "Look at their cards."

(The camera closes in on the strong fighters' cards. They are shiny and new, with very recent dates, just like the heroes'.)

MERENJI: (Confused) "What? They're new like us, but they act like they own the place! How?"

QASSEM: (Speaks quietly, his cold eyes watching them) "They don't walk like newcomers. They walk like predators."

MADDAH: (Narrows his eyes, his mind racing) "It's a contradiction. A variable we haven't understood yet. Old cards mean power, and new cards mean… something else."

[SCENE 4]

(Their obvious confusion makes them an easy target. A different group of "Old Hunters"—three large youths with worn-out cards and arrogant smiles—approaches them.)

HUNTER LEADER: (Stops in front of them, smiling coldly) "Lost, little rats? Trying to figure out the game?"

(He reaches out and flicks Qassem's new card with his finger.)

"Let me help you. This… is worthless. It's just a sign that tells everyone you're fresh prey."

MERENJI: (Steps forward angrily, his fists clenching) "Try to take it."

HUNTER LEADER: (Laughs) "Take it? Why would I want it? I'm going to take your food. That's the welcoming rule for new arrivals. Now, hand it over, and maybe we'll only break one of your arms... for fun."

[SCENE 5]

(FINAL SHOT: The situation reaches its boiling point.)

(One of the hunters lunges towards them. Instinctively and in perfect sync, the four heroes get into a back-to-back defensive posture, forming a tense, closed circle.)

NARRATOR (V.O.):

"There were no instruction manuals. There were no rules written on the walls. In The Crucible, there was only one lesson, and it was taught on the first day: Hunt… or be hunted."

(The screen freezes on the imminent confrontation, a look of defiance in the four heroes' eyes as they face their first opponents.)

(END OF EPISODE)