Run: 2026-02-20-01KHY8TZFE6PF9B99ZKV10J4HH

**Title: *The Missing in Alborn*** --- **Scene: *The Morning Café*** *(The sun spills golden light through the stained-glass windows of *Bäckerei & Café Alborn*, a cozy spot in the heart of the town. Melanie sits at a small wooden table, her camera resting on the tabletop, the lens cap off. She’s adjusting the focus, her fingers moving with practiced ease. Across the room, Hunter leans against the counter, arms crossed, watching the crowd. He spots her and steps forward.)* --- **Hunter:** *"Hallo. You’re the photography student, right?"* *(Melanie freezes. Her hands tremble slightly as she looks up at him. She doesn’t speak English, but she understands the question.)* **Melanie:** *"...Ja. Ich bin Melanie. Ich bin hier für mein Studium."* *(She speaks slowly, her voice barely above a whisper, her eyes darting to the camera. Hunter’s expression doesn’t change—no smile, no confusion, just a faint flicker of something unreadable.)* **Hunter:** *"You’re from Germany, right? You don’t speak English?"* **Melanie:** *"Ja. Ich spreche kein Englisch gut."* *(She exhales sharply, her shoulders relaxing just a little. Hunter nods, but his gaze lingers on her camera. He doesn’t ask about it. He doesn’t need to.)* **Hunter:** *"You’re here for the festival, right? The apple one?"* **Melanie:** *"Ja. Aber…"* *(Her voice drops. She hesitates.) *"…es gibt etwas, das ich sehen wollte. Etwas… seltsam."* *(She hesitates, then adds, her voice trembling slightly.) *"Ich habe gesehen, wie jemand verschwunden ist. Vor zwei Tagen."* *(Hunter’s jaw tightens. He doesn’t react immediately. Instead, he studies her—her posture, the way her fingers twitch near the camera, the unspoken weight in her eyes.)* **Hunter:** *"Who?"* **Melanie:** *"Ich… ich weiß nicht. Ich habe nur gesehen, wie er… wie er…"* *(She stops, her voice breaking.) *"Wie er… wie er… nicht mehr da war."* *(A beat. Hunter’s expression is unreadable. He steps closer, his voice low.)* **Hunter:** *"You saw him leave the festival? Any details?"* **Melanie:** *"Nein. Nur… er war allein. Und er trug…"* *(She hesitates, then whispers.) *"…dunkelblaues Hemd."* *(Hunter’s eyes narrow. He doesn’t press further. Instead, he reaches into his jacket, pulls out his phone, and steps away from the counter. A moment later, he’s gone, disappearing into the crowd.)* *(Melanie watches him go, her breath coming faster. She picks up her camera, her fingers trembling as she turns it back on. The town hums around her—laughter, chatter, the distant clatter of dishes—but none of it feels real anymore.)* *(She exhales, then looks down at the camera. The lens captures nothing but the fading light of the morning.)* --- **End Scene.**