Dive into a vibrant world where childhood dreams clash with adult ambition. Follow Elias and his six friends, the 'Vanguards,' as their unbreakable blood oath faces the ultimate test of loyalty and betrayal. This captivating story explores the profound bonds of friendship, the sting of ambition, and the enduring search for what truly matters.
The Cast of 7 (The "Vanguards") Elias: The dreamer, the artist. Marcus: The charismatic leader (The Betrayer). Sarah: The peacemaker, the glue of the group. Jax: The hot-headed protector. Lina: The observant, quiet intellectual. Daniel: The one who just wants to fit in. Chloe: The ambitious one, Marcus’s closest confidant. Chapter 1: The Blood Oath (Pages 1-5) The story begins in a sun-drenched meadow. The 7 friends are twelve years old. They decide to build a "fortress" in an abandoned barn. Marcus suggests they all prick their fingers and press them against a wooden beam, swearing that no matter what life brings—fame, money, or distance—they will always protect one another. The Key Image: Seven small bloody fingerprints on a golden piece of wood. The Mood: Pure, innocent, and unbreakable. Chapter 2: The Rising Tide (Pages 6-12) Fast forward ten years. The group is now in their early twenties. They have started a tech company together based on an algorithm Elias designed. Marcus is the CEO; he is the face of the brand. Elias is the "ghost" in the machine. Tension begins to simmer. Marcus starts taking meetings without the others. He begins wearing expensive suits while the others are still working in the basement. The Turning Point: Marcus is offered a "buyout" that would make him a billionaire, but it requires firing the rest of the group and taking credit for the code. Chapter 3: The Secret Meeting (Pages 13-18) Lina, the observant one, notices Marcus meeting with a rival firm’s lawyer in a dark restaurant. She tells Sarah, but Sarah refuses to believe it. "Marcus would never," she says. The group throws a party to celebrate their first million users. While everyone is dancing and laughing, Marcus is in his office, signing a document that effectively wipes the names of his six friends off the patent. He looks at the old photo of them at the barn and turns it face down on his desk. Chapter 4: The Knife in the Dark (Pages 19-25) The betrayal is revealed on a Monday morning. The 7 friends arrive at the office to find their keycards deactivated. Security guards stand at the door. Marcus walks out, flanked by lawyers. "It’s just business," he tells them, his voice cold. Jax lunges at him but is held back. Elias is frozen. He doesn't care about the money; he cares that his best friend stole his "soul"—his creation. The group falls apart. Without the common goal, they start blaming each other. Chloe stays with Marcus, choosing ambition over friendship, which is the final sting. Chapter 5: The Barn in the Rain (Pages 26-30) Five years later. Marcus is the most successful man in the country, but he is miserable. He sits in his glass office, surrounded by people who only want his money. One night, driven by a strange impulse, he drives back to the old, rotting barn. He finds the wooden beam with the seven fingerprints. They are faded, almost gone. He hears a floorboard creak. Elias is there. He isn't there for revenge. He’s just there to remember who he used to be. The Ending: They don't hug. They don't reconcile. Marcus offers Elias a check for millions. Elias takes it, rips it into pieces, and lets the wind carry it away into the dark. He walks out, leaving Marcus alone in the ruins of their fortress. How to expand this to 30 Pages: To reach the 30-page mark, you should expand on these specific areas: Dialogue: Write long conversations during the "Blood Oath" (Chapter 1) to show how much they loved each other. Internal Monologues: Describe Marcus's descent—how he justifies the betrayal to himself. The Fallout: Dedicate 5 pages just to how each of the other 5 friends (Sarah, Jax, Lina, Daniel, Chloe) reacts to losing their careers and their friend.
