Episode 1: Blood at the Funeral

Total Word Goal: 15,000 | Pages 1–30

Part I: Procession of Shadows (Word Count: 5,000 | Pages 1–10)

Scene 1 – Page 1–2 Setting: The Bronx, 1963. Hot pavement, distant sirens, crowded sidewalks.

• James and Venus arrive at Dremond Blackman’s funeral.
• The community stands in silent judgment.
• Introduction of Ellis, Alicia, and the 29 half-siblings.

Image Prompt: A tightly packed Bronx street in 1963. Black mourners in formal wear. A regal woman (Alicia) stands behind a teenage boy (Ellis), surrounded by dozens of half-siblings in varying states of grief and calculation.

Scene 2 – Page 3–4

• Flashback to James’s life on the outer edge of the Blackman name.
• Contrast between street survival and mansion legacy.
• James notices the coldness in Ellis’s posture.

Scene 3 – Page 5–6

• The priest gives a sermon; Ellis remains unmoved.
• Rumors whisper among the crowd—about power, about Alicia.
• The weight of legacy begins to press down on James.

Scene 4 – Page 7–8

• The moment the casket is lowered, Ellis and James lock eyes.
• Something ancient passes between them—neither warmth nor welcome.

Scene 5 – Page 9–10

• Cliffhanger: A stranger in the crowd mutters, “One of ‘em killed him.”
• India, Maria, and Oya (future allies) are seen watching from the crowd.

Image Prompt: A casket lowered into the ground. Dozens of people bowing their heads. One young man (Ellis) watching without blinking. Three girls in the background, their eyes fixed on him.

Part II: Legacy Wounds (Word Count: 5,000 | Pages 11–20)

Scene 6 – Page 11–12

• The crowd disperses. James stays behind.
• Venus warns him: “Watch them. Especially the quiet ones.”

Scene 7 – Page 13–14

• Inside the Blackman estate for the first time.
• James meets Jean Jr., Ashe, and other half-siblings.
• The power struggle is tangible.

Scene 8 – Page 15–16

• Alicia walks through the halls—silent but commanding.
• James overhears whispers: “He didn’t just die.”

Scene 9 – Page 17–18

• Flashback: Ellis confronting Dremond. The blade in the room.
• Alicia watches, silent. Her son becomes something else.

Scene 10 – Page 19–20

• Cliffhanger: James stumbles upon a secret room in the mansion.
• Inside: A faded photo of four crowned Black women—The Archon Queens.

Image Prompt: A hidden chamber lit by a single bulb. On the wall, a haunting photo of four Black women in royal robes, their faces both human and shadow.

Part III: Bloodline Fire (Word Count: 5,000 | Pages 21–30)

Scene 11 – Page 21–22

• Ellis trains alone at dawn. Blood still on his knuckles.
• The mansion awakens. The Queen’s influence grows.

Scene 12 – Page 23–24

• James confronts Ellis: “Did you do it?”
• Ellis doesn’t deny. “It had to be done.”

Scene 13 – Page 25–26

• Orisha arrives. Half-sister, outsider, seer.
• She feels something the others miss—something watching.

Scene 14 – Page 27–28

• Alicia takes James aside: “You’re in now. That’s not always a good thing.”
• She hands him the same blade Ellis used.

Scene 15 – Page 29–30

• Cliffhanger: James dreams of the Archon Queens whispering his name.
• Final line: “And somewhere in the dark, they answered.”

Image Prompt: A surreal dreamscape. Four shadowed queens rising from the floor. A young Black man (James) standing barefoot, blade in hand, eyes glowing faintly gold.