(The screen opens to black. A deep, calm narrator's voice begins.)

NARRATOR (V.O.):

They say the distance between heaven and earth is vast. But in our world, the distance between the sky above the city of Tiaret and its Bottom is only two kilometers… Two kilometers of rusted steel and forgotten darkness.

(The camera fades in on a wide, breathtaking shot of the city of Tiaret. At the top, the sleek, white towers of the Upper Layer shine, surrounded by a halo of pure, artificial light that mimics the sun. The camera begins a rapid descent.)

(The camera plunges through a thick layer of industrial clouds and smoke. The bright white light vanishes, replaced by a dim, orange-and-red glow from scattered, ancient pipes and lamps. We finally arrive at "The Bottom.")

(The camera moves quickly through narrow alleyways formed between giant, interlocking metal structures. Massive pipes constantly leak hot steam, creating a perpetual fog. The ground is a mix of worn-out metal and packed dirt. The air is thick with the stench of burnt oil and rust. We hear the continuous creaking and groaning of metal, as if the city itself is in pain.)

NARRATOR (V.O.):

In the Bottom, there are no laws, only deals. There is no police, only gangs. Here, three words coexist: Hunger, Fear, and the Unknown.

[SCENE 2]

(LOCATION: A narrow alley filled with scrap.)

(A close-up on a hand holding a small, valuable-looking power cell. Suddenly, a larger hand snatches it away.)

ROUGH VOICE: "This is our turf, and that cell is ours, hybrid!"

(The camera pans to reveal MERENJI (12), his mismatched eyes—one blue, one red—burning with a rage far beyond his years. He faces a larger boy flanked by two friends.)

MERENJI: (In a low, sharp voice) "Give it back."

(The larger boy laughs and tosses the power cell into a puddle of grimy water. "What're you gonna do about it? Cry to your Golden daddy? Or your human mommy? Oh, right… neither of them wants you.")

(For a moment, Merenji looks like he's about to explode. His right hand begins to crackle with faint, almost invisible sparks of electricity. But he suppresses it. Instead, he lunges forward with a swift, animalistic motion, using no powers, only his fury and body weight. He engages in a short, brutal brawl. He doesn't come out unscathed, but he does enough damage to make the older bully back off, cursing.)

(Merenji is left alone, breathing heavily, staring at the power cell in the mud. He doesn't pick it up. He turns and walks away, hunger and anger eating him from the inside.)

[SCENE 3]

(LOCATION: A high metal beam overlooking a crowded market.)

(MADDAH (12) sits in the shadows, lean and quiet, observing the scene below. His eyes, magnified by large, round glasses, move rapidly, analyzing everything. He doesn’t see a crowd; he sees patterns: how thieves exchange signals, how merchants negotiate, who is strong, and who is weak.)

(He pulls out an old, scratched datapad and begins typing quick notes in a coded language he invented. The camera closes in on the screen as he writes: “The Jaw Gang… controls sector 7. Reroute.” He adds another entry: “The merchant ‘Attiya’… sells contaminated water. Easy target for a later trade.” He suddenly lifts his head, hearing an unusual commotion coming from the main square.)

[SCENE 4]

(LOCATION: The entrance to a dark tunnel of the Lower Network.)

(TAHER (12) steps out of the tunnel's darkness and into the dim light of the Bottom. He wears a cloak with a deep hood that hides his golden hair and relatively clean clothes. For the first time, the heavy air and foul smells hit him.)

(He stumbles back a step, covering his nose in clear disgust. His eyes widen as he sees the extreme poverty and the hopelessness carved into people's faces.)

TAHER: (Whispering to himself, his voice trembling) "How… How can anyone live like this?"

(He suddenly hears loud roars and cheers coming from a nearby square. A morbid curiosity pulls him toward the source of the sound. Merenji and Maddah, from their own locations, are also drawn to the same commotion.)

[SCENE 5]

(LOCATION: The Slave Market Square.)

(The three boys arrive at the edge of the packed square. In the center is a circular arena of dirt and blood. The cheers are loud and bloodthirsty.)

MERENJI: (Excitedly) "What a place! Looks like fun!"

MADDAH: (Analytically) "It’s not just a fight… It’s organized. People are betting."

(Taher’s eyes fall on a large wooden sign hanging over the arena, painted with peeling red letters: “THE SLAVE MARKET.” He freezes, horror paralyzing him.)

(At that moment, an iron gate creaks open, and two small boys are shoved into the arena. It is QASSEM and his friend, SALIM. They look scared and weak.)

(The RINGMASTER, a huge, scarred man, bellows:) "And now, a new item on the block! Two for the price of one! They'll fight until one drops, and the winner becomes a new slave for the highest bidder!"

(The crowd roars with excitement. A guard tosses two wooden swords in front of the boys.)

SALIM: (In a trembling voice to Qassem) "I don't want to do this…"

QASSEM: (His eyes full of defiance) "You won't have to. Stay behind me."

(Salim stands tall, and in a moment of desperate courage, he shouts:) "No! I won't fight my friend!"

(A sudden silence falls over the crowd, followed by a cold laugh from the Ringmaster.)

RINGMASTER: "Stupid courage. A slave that doesn't obey is worthless."

(The Ringmaster walks toward Salim. In a single, swift, brutal motion that no one expects, he stabs Salim with his dagger. Salim collapses to the ground, lifeless.)

(Close-up on Qassem’s face. His wide eyes register shock, then morph into a sea of grief and rage. The world around him goes silent.)

(The camera begins to shake. Time stops. Everything freezes in place: the crowd with their mouths open, dust hanging suspended in the air, a single teardrop on Qassem’s cheek freezing mid-fall. In the absolute silence, only one sound can be heard… a single, pounding heartbeat. Qassem’s.)

(A silent, invisible wave of energy erupts from Qassem. Time resumes. Everyone stumbles back from a shockwave they felt but didn't see.)

(FINAL SHOT: From their different vantage points, the horrified eyes of Taher, the analytical eyes of Maddah, and the shocked-but-excited eyes of Merenji all focus on the center of the arena. Their gazes lock for the first time with the grief-stricken eyes of Qassem. Four strangers, now connected by a single, tragic moment… and the beginning of a story that will change their world forever.)

(END OF EPISODE)