Chapter 1: The Gray World
(introductory scene - Sara's difficult life)
Fog was creeping across the cold city streets with the first hints of dawn, bringing with it the smell of burnt coffee and wet asphalt. In the dim lights of the Café du Lawn, Sara stood rubbing her swollen hands from washing cups in hot water, her eyes buried in an open textbook on the counter.
- "Sara! Table five is calling you!" Her boss shouted in a gruff voice, and she jerked awake from a dream.
- "Yes, Ms. Lina."
She rushed to the table where three overly elegant girls sat, gossiping while their fancy bags dangled carelessly on the chairs.
- "Finally!" One of them said, checking her diamond wristwatch. "We want three lattes, sugar-free, soy milk, exactly 70 degrees."
- "And fast this time!" The other added, while the third took a selfie without taking her eyes off her phone.
Sara turned her back, silent sparks in her eyes. She knew these people well - her university classmates who used to make fun of her worn-out shoes, or her pronunciation of English words. But she couldn't confront them; the rent bill and student debt couldn't wait.
On her way home at night, as she walked through a light rain, she felt the weight of the world on her shoulders. The small, damp apartment waiting for her, the books piled on top of her narrow bed, and her sick mother leaving her coughing voicemails before she fell asleep.
Suddenly...
- "The darkness doesn't last forever, little one."
Sara jumped up. In front of her stood a tall woman in a long black coat, waddling under an umbrella decorated with strange symbols. Her golden eyes shone like coals glowing in the moonlight.
- "Who are you?"
Mrs. Kaguya smiled, as if reading the lines of Sara's life as if it were an open book:
- "Mani may be your key, but the price... You may not be willing to pay it."
She raised her hand, and in her wrinkled palm appeared a strange hourglass-shaped pendant.
Chapter 2: The Differential Gift
(Meeting Destiny - The Smart Shoe)
Scene 1: The Mysterious Box
It was Sara's only morning off, but she awoke to a light knock on the door of her modest apartment. No one had told her she was coming to visit, and she didn't have any deliveries waiting for her.
She cautiously opened the door, only to find a small black box sitting on the threshold, with no label or return address. She picked it up hesitantly, then looked around at the empty corridor.
- "Is this a joke?" she whispered to herself.
But something compelled her to open it. Inside the box was a sleek silver-colored sneaker, with a faint blue light strip on the sides. It wasn't a brand she recognized, but it looked oddly sophisticated.
Suddenly...
The shoes shook!
Sara shuddered and almost dropped them, but she picked up a small piece of paper that had fallen out of the box:
"Every journey begins with a step... This will be your smartest step.
- K.G."
Scene 2: The Disastrous Experience
After hesitating, Sara put the shoes on. They were surprisingly comfortable, as if they had been specially designed for her feet.
- "Okay, weird shoes... What are you doing?"
Suddenly!
A huge hologram shot out of the shoe!
A giant virtual screen appeared in the center of her small room, displaying a map of the city, emails she hadn't written, and even... her secret diary!
- "What is this?! Stop it!" She screamed as she tried to close the hologram with her hand, but she accidentally pierced the screen, and the diary page turned into a replica of her face, repeating her words in a sarcastic tone:
- "What is this? Stop!"
- "Oh no..."
It got worse.
- "No, no, no! How does this shoe know all this?!"
In her panic, she kicked the wall, and the auto-navigation system kicked in!
The shoe suddenly slid across the floor as if on its own, dragging Sara along with it on a crazy journey through the cramped apartment, cleverly avoiding chairs and tables, but eventually hitting the bed and collapsing on top of it, as the hologram suddenly turned itself off.
Scene 3: The Mystery Deepens
Sara falls to her knees, panting, while the shoe returns to its calm, as if nothing had happened.
But she notices a new message appearing on the small screen built into the side of the shoe:
"Training is required. But time is short.
- Kaguya."
Sara gingerly pulled the boots off her feet, this time examining them with curiosity and fear.
- "What exactly is this, and who sent it to me?"
Chapter 3: TECH-X Party
(Digital Transformation - Meeting Yoshiro)
Scene 1: Entering the Digital Princess
The TECH-X building shines at night like a spaceship that has landed in the city center, with blue and green neon lights twinkling on its glass facade. Fancy cars parked at the entrance, and robotic servers greeted guests with perfect mechanical voices.
Sara stood behind a distant pillar, watching the crowd as her heart felt like it was going to explode. This was her first time entering a place like this.
She was wearing a simple but elegant silver dress, bought at a second-hand store after selling some of her old books. But what made her take a deep breath was the smart shoes that shone a faint blue light underneath the folds of the dress.
- "You're ready. Come in." The shoes whispered in Mrs. Kaguya's distorted voice.
She closed her eyes, then stepped forward.
The surprise started at the door.
The automated security guard reached out to scan her ID, but a green hologram screen suddenly appeared above her wrist, showing the name "Serena Vaughn" with an avatar of her face - but with a more elegant and confident look.
- "Welcome, Ms. Vaughn. The TECH-X party is honored to have you."
Sara couldn't believe it, but she walked in with a mind full of questions.
Scene 2: In the Eye of the Storm
The interior was even more impressive than I had imagined. Giant hologram screens floating in the air, displaying the latest biotech inventions. People walking around with shiny robotic limbs, or smart glasses that translate their speech in different languages into the air.
But the strangest thing was the way people were looking at it now.
A man in a black suit with blue lighting approached her with a smile:
- "Ms. Foon, I heard about your work in emotional AI. Do you have time to talk?"
Sara felt her throat go dry. Who invented this false resume?
- "I'm... busy right now. Maybe later!"
She slipped away, hiding at the drinks table where she picked up a glass of a brightly colored soft drink.
Then she saw him.
Scene 3: Meeting Fate (Yoshiro)
He was standing alone on the glass balcony, looking at the city with a sad expression. A young Japanese man with unkempt black hair and broken smart glasses on the tip of his nose.
But what attracted her were the shoes he was wearing - an old version of her own smart shoes, but with a faded red light.
She approached him, as if her feet were moving on their own.
- "Your shoes... beautiful." She said hesitantly.
Yoshiro raised his head, then looked at her silver shoes. His eyes widened.
- "You... also have one?" he whispered.
At that moment, red and blue light emanated from their shoes together, as if they were communicating in an invisible language.
- "I'm Yoshiro. I was working on this technology before it... disappeared."
Sara felt a heaviness in her chest. He knows the truth.
But before she could ask him anything, a powerful white light exploded from her shoes, blinding her eyes for a moment.
When she regained her sight...
Yoshiro was gone.
Only a small piece of paper on the floor read:
"They know. Be careful."
Chapter 4: Midnight Escape
(Missing Phone - The Mystery Begins)
Scene 1: Escape
Explosion.
It wasn't a real explosion, but it sounded like one in Sara's head. That strange metallic sound that came from her smart shoe moments ago made her feel like something had broken - or maybe it had been broken on purpose.
The faint blue light she was used to seeing under her feet suddenly faded away, leaving a plain shoe - almost.
"I have to run. Now."
She picked up her small bag and dashed toward the back door of the party, where the robot cars were being powered up. She had no plan, but something in Yoshiro's eyes warned her.
"They know."
Who? Why? No time for questions now.
She ran down the dark alleys, the sound of her footsteps echoing on the wet asphalt. She felt her hand in her pocket - her phone was missing.
"No... No!"
Maybe it fell out during her escape, or maybe...
"They stole it."
Scene 2: The Lost Phone
In the now deserted TECH-X hall, Yoshiro is holding a small black phone with a broken corner.
"Sara..."
He knows her real name now. The phone was unlocked, but the screen was displaying a strange symbol: A red circle with an inverted triangle inside.
"This is Kaguya's code." He whispered, tapping the screen quickly.
Suddenly, a small hologram appeared from the phone, displaying a map of the city with a flashing red dot in the old neighborhood area.
"Her lair..."
But before he could see any further, he heard footsteps behind him.
Scene 3: The Pursuit
Three men in black suits enter the hall, their night goggles reflecting the faint light of the hologram.
"Hand over the phone, Yoshiro. This is not your game."
Yoshiro recognized them. TECH-X's digital security squad. The same team that made his father disappear a year ago.
"Look for him yourself." He threw the phone away, then pressed on his red shoes.
A blinding light exploded from the shoe, momentarily blinding the men - but it was enough for Yoshiro to disappear through the broken window.
Scene 4: The mystery deepens
In Sara's empty apartment, the phone rings.
It's not her missing phone - it's an old one she had forgotten existed. On the cracked screen, a message from an unknown number:
"They found you. Don't come home. Go to the address the shoe will send you. Don't trust anyone - not even me."
The message automatically deletes itself after two seconds.
Outside, a black car without a license plate pulls up in front of the building.
Chapter 4: Midnight Escape
(Missing Phone - The Mystery Begins)
Scene 1: Escape
An explosion.
It wasn't a real explosion, but it sounded like one in Sara's head. That strange metallic sound that came from her smart shoe moments before made her feel like something had broken - or maybe it had been broken on purpose.
The faint blue light she was used to seeing under her feet suddenly faded away, leaving a plain shoe - almost.
"I have to run. Now."
She picked up her small bag and dashed toward the back door of the party, where the robot cars were being powered up. She had no plan, but something in Yoshiro's eyes warned her.
"They know."
Who? Why? No time for questions now.
She ran down the dark alleys, the sound of her footsteps echoing on the wet asphalt. She felt her hand in her pocket - her phone was missing.
"No... No!"
Maybe it fell out during her escape, or maybe...
"They stole it."
Scene 2: The Lost Phone
In the now deserted TECH-X hall, Yoshiro is holding a small black phone with a broken corner.
"Sara..."
He knows her real name now. The phone was unlocked, but the screen was displaying a strange symbol: A red circle with an inverted triangle inside.
"This is Kaguya's code." He whispered, tapping the screen quickly.
Suddenly, a small hologram appeared from the phone, displaying a map of the city with a flashing red dot in the old neighborhood area.
"Her lair..."
But before he could see any further, he heard footsteps behind him.
Scene 3: The Pursuit
Three men in black suits enter the hall, their night goggles reflecting the faint light of the hologram.
"Hand over the phone, Yoshiro. This is not your game."
Yoshiro recognized them. TECH-X's digital security squad. The same team that made his father disappear a year ago.
"Look for him yourself." He threw the phone away, then pressed on his red shoes.
A blinding light exploded from the shoe, momentarily blinding the men - but it was enough for Yoshiro to disappear through the broken window.
Scene 4: The mystery deepens
In Sara's empty apartment, the phone rings.
It's not her missing phone - it's an old one she had forgotten existed. On the cracked screen, a message from an unknown number:
"They found you. Don't come home. Go to the address the shoe will send you. Don't trust anyone - not even me."
The message automatically deletes itself after two seconds.
Outside, a black car without a license plate pulls up in front of the building.
Chapter 5: The Search for Cinderella
(Yoshiro investigates - Sara in danger)
Scene 1: Ghost Tracking
TECH-X's secret server room
Yoshiro was digging deep into the company's internal network, his fingers flying over the virtual keyboard created by his red shoes. Holographic screens surround him like illuminated butterflies, each displaying a piece of Sara's puzzle.
Image from the security cameras: Sara runs away from the party, her eyes wide with fear.
Missing phone data: The last signal from a cell tower near the old neighborhood.
A secret file labeled "Cinderella Project".
"What are you doing with this girl, Kaguya?" Yoshiro whispered as he opened the file.
But all he found was a single code:
⏳ 23:59:59:59
The meter started ticking down.
Scene 2: Wolves besiege
Cafe du Lawn - The Next Day
Sara returned to work as if nothing had happened, her smart shoe now in her bag, locked and waiting for a signal from Kaguya. But the three girls were waiting for her.
"Did you see that video that went viral yesterday?" One of them said in a deliberately loud voice, holding up her phone, showing a clip of Sara at the TECH-X party in her silver dress.
"Oh my God, is that really Sara?" The second laughed. "She must have sold her kidney to pay for that dress!"
Sara felt her blood boil, but she gripped the cup tighter. This video could only mean one thing: They recognized her.
Scene 3: Digital Betrayal
Sara's apartment - Midnight
The three girls huddled around one another's phone, their fingers quickly touching the screen.
"This is her bank account. Let's see how much she has."
A few taps, and Sara's balance drops to zero.
"And then the university account... Let's cancel her final exams!"
Their laughter mingled with the faint sound of an electronic alarm from Sara's bag. The smart shoe was witnessing everything.
Scene 4: Confrontation
Dark Street - Dawn
Sara runs, her shoes now fully functional, guiding her through shortcuts between alleys. But an automated taxi was following her from a distance.
Suddenly, a powerful blue light explodes from her shoes, blinding the cameras on the street. In that moment of digital blindness, a strong hand pulled her into a dark corner.
"I'm not trying to hurt you." It was Yoshiro.
In his other hand, her missing phone.
Chapter 6: Confrontation
(Fact shows – Ms. Kagya intervenes)
Scene 1: Unmasking
roof of an abandoned building – sunset
Yoshiro leaned over a fragmenting hologram screen, showing secret records from the TECH-X archive.
"it's impossible..." He whispered, as the data unfolded before his eyes.
Project name: Cinderella
Subject: Sarah Ahmed (Candidate #7)
Purpose: to test biotechnology combined with extreme poverty
The pictures show little Sarah, wearing old torn shoes in front of an abandoned school. The history goes back ten years.
"They've been watching you since childhood..."
Sarah trembled, dark memories flowing like a sweeping river. Her sick mother, debt, neglect... It wasn't a coincidence.
"why me?" She asked in a broken voice.
Yoshiro looked at her with eyes bearing a bitter answer:
"Because you're the strongest of them... And most broken."
Scene 2: Ambush in the Dark
sara's secret hideout – midnight
The sounds of multiple footsteps approaching the rusty door. The three girls, but they no longer wear smugness masks.
"We know you're here, Cinderella!" One of them screamed, while the other was holding an electronic jammer issued by TECH-X.
The door opened forcefully, and they found Sarah standing in the middle, her smart shoes shining in a strange purple color.
"You stole something that didn't belong to you." Hemmat the third, as she pulls out a stun gun.
But before any of them move...
Lights went out
Scene 3: The Witch Appears
In the complete darkness, a giant hourglass appeared in the air, swimming in a terrifying ruby color.
"Little girls playing with adult toys." Ms. Kagya's voice came from everywhere and nowhere.
Suddenly, streaks of blue light enveloped the three girls, causing their devices to explode in their hands.
"This is not your war."
Kagya finally appeared, wearing a long black robe, her golden eyes shining like angry stars.
Sarah tried to speak, but Kagya raised her hand
"It's not time for questions, my little bird."
I looked at Yoshiro:
"and you... Finally know the price of curiosity."
Scene 4: Bitter Wisdom
After the three girls lose consciousness, Kageya takes Sara and Yoshiro somewhere else.
A circular room, the walls of which are covered with screens showing hundreds of girls all over the world, each one wearing a different smart shoe.
"Project Cinderella is not an experiment... It's rescue." Kagya said, passing her hand over the pictures.
"The world is wiping out the poor every day, and we're giving them a gun."
Sarah shouted:
"You made my life hell just to test my strength?!"
Kagya smiled sadly:
"No, you made their hell your chance... Now it's time to choose."
She took out a small hourglass from the folds of her robe:
"Either join us... Or go back to how you were."
Chapter 7: Collapse
(Loss of confidence – return to reality)
Scene 1: The Dead Shoe
Sarah's old room – dawn
Sarah knelt down in front of the smart shoe, his fingers trembling as she tried to turn it off permanently. The faint blue light gradually fades away, like a last breath.
— "Enough." She whispered hoarsely.
The hologram screen flashes for the last time, displaying a message from Kagya:
⁇ • [Opportunity will be lost forever. Yöu're sure?]
But Sarah pressed the close button hard until she heard a spark go out.
The shoe has become just an ordinary piece of plastic.
The hourglass on the screen flipped over.
Scene 2: Yoshiro – alone in the maze
Yoshiro's secret laboratory – under the bridge
Yoshiro's fingers hit the keyboard violently, his screens display images of Sara everywhere and at all times:
A little girl crying in front of a closed school.
A teenager steals a book from a used store.
A young woman looks at a luxury apartment with a hungry look.
— "Where are you now?!" He shouted as he smashed the cup next to him.
His red shoes send a distress signal, but no response. Suddenly, all the screens are displaying the same word:
[access denied]
Kagya's fingerprints are everywhere.
Scene 3: Back to the coffee shop
Café de Laon – next morning
Sarah returns to work with her empty hands, wearing her old worn-out shoes. The three girls whisper when they see her, but this time they are not laughing.
One of them pushes a cup towards her:
— "Latte like usual..." Her voice carries a new ounce of respect.
Sara picks up the mug with a trembling hand, touching the digital checkout screen... But the system does not recognize her fingerprint.
— "Cash only today." She said with a bitter smile.
In her pocket, a lonely note reminds her of all she has lost.
Scene 4: The Last Meeting
city park – sunset
Yoshiro finally finds her, sitting on a worn-out bench, her feet bare on the grass.
— "Why?" He asked as he approached, his eyes holding a thousand questions.
Sarah raised her head, her tears reflecting the colors of the sunset:
— "Because I finally learned that glass shoes break... And I'm not a princess."
She took out a small necklace from her pocket— that Kageya had given her on the first day— and threw it into the river.
Yoshiro tried to catch her, but she got lost in the current.
— "You were the bravest of us all." He whispered as he watched the necklace disappear.
Chapter 8: Recognition
(Heart to heart meeting)
Scene 1: The Naked Truth
on the river bank – moonlit night
Sarah sat on the cold stone, her torn barefoot in her hands. The moon was enough to light up old scars on her palms – traces of years of hard work.
"I'm not Serena Vaughn... Not even the smart student you thought she was." She raised her eyes to meet Yoshiro's, "I just... Sara."
She took it out of her pocket:
Late rent receipt.
A picture of her sick mother on a hospital bed.
Fake university card (because she couldn't pay the fees).
"that's me. Cafe maid, hustler, doesn't even have clean shoes."
The wind carried the papers from her hand as if they were confession papers flying to the world.
Scene 2: Silence that weighs heavy
Yoshiro said nothing. The samurai's intelligent eyes follow each falling leaf, then fixate on its face.
Sarah felt her heart being crushed under the luxurious TECH-X shoes.
But suddenly...
Yoshiro laughed.
Not sarcasm – but a laugh as warm as tea on a winter's night.
"you know what?" "I also used to steal computer parts from the lab to fix my sister's computer," he said, wiping her tears with his thumb
He took out his fake ID card from his pocket:
"Yoshiro Takashi, son of the fired manager."
Scene 3: The dance without shoes
In the back street – where no cameras
Sarah couldn't stop her laugh, her first real laugh in years. Yoshiro took her hands and held her high:
"No smart shoes, no hologram... Just us."
They danced to the music of a distant street, their bare feet on the cold asphalt.
Sara felt her heart beating for the first time, no fear, no shame... Just a human being standing in front of a human being.
Scene 4: A Gift from Nothing
At the crossroads, Yoshiro gave her a small box.
Inside: A pair of woolen socks stuffed with old newspaper (to keep them warm in the winter).
"So that the stones don't disturb you as you walk toward your future."
Sarah pressed the socks to her chest, smelling coffee and courage.
Chapter 9: The Golden Opportunity
(New beginning – unexpected partnership)
Scene 1: The Unrefused Offer
Café de Laon – on a normal morning
Sarah was wiping the tables as usual, when the doorbell rang. Yoshiro stood on the threshold, but this time he was wearing a simple tuxedo and a backpack full of papers.
"I have a suggestion." He said with rare seriousness, then put it on the table:
Full scholarship in the College of Computer Science.
An employment contract in his startup company (junior software developer).
A university residence near the hospital where her mother is being treated.
Sarah touched the leaves with trembling fingers, as if she were touching an imaginary dream.
"but... Why?" I whispered.
Yoshiro nodded towards her old shoes under the table:
"Because you are the only one who left magic to create a miracle with your own hands."
Scene 2: The First Day in the New World
startup building – 7th floor
Sarah walked in with a simple new suit (she bought it at a used market), a used laptop in her hand. Everyone looked at her –, some in amazement, others in curiosity.
"our new team!" Yoshiro introduced her to everyone, "She will develop a program with us to help girls in poor neighborhoods learn programming."
One of the developers raised his eyebrow:
"And what do you know about programming?"
Sarah opened her computer and displayed a screen full of codes she had written at night in the café:
"learned it myself... When I didn't have internet, I would steal the wifi signal from the library."
Silence... Then applause.
Scene 3: First step on campus
City University – Lecture Hall
Sarah sat in the front row, her notebook full of hasty writings. The professor was explaining complex algorithms, but they didn't lose the thread.
Her colleague sitting next to her whispered:
"Can you explain this part to me?"
Sarah looked at the question, then began to explain in simple language – the language she learned from the streets, from poverty, from life.
For first time... She was the teacher.
Scene 4: Kagya watches from the shadows
cafe across the street – top window
Mrs. Kagya quietly drinks her tea, her golden eyes watching Sarah through the glass. Her smartphone showcases Sarah's first successes:
Her first program sells for $10,000.
The excellence scholarship you received.
A picture of her mother smiling in the new hospital.
She smiled, then left a gold coin on the table before disappearing.
The coin was inscribed with:
"Real shoes don't break."
Chapter 10: The New Road
(open end – signal for a second part)
Scene 1: The Digital Coronation Ceremony
Grand Convention Hall – Annual "Tech Pioneers" event
Floodlights turn towards the podium where Sarah stands in a simple metallic blue dress, resembling not the princesses of stories, but a heroine from a new world.
"Our 'Cinderella Code' program has so far helped 5,000 girls enter the world of technology."
The screen behind it displays:
Girls from poor neighborhoods program in equipped centers.
Mothers working in remote technical jobs.
Yoshiro smiles from the audience, wearing a T-shirt that reads, "Yes, she is my colleague!"
But among the audience... One seat was empty, marked with a card reading: KG
Scene 2: The Shadow That Has Not Disappeared
Sarah's new office – midnight
Sara's working on her computer, and all of a sudden... Light goes out.
The computer screen turns black, and then a familiar hourglass appears. Message appears:
"Find the truth under the ashes..."
A map suddenly shows the abandoned TECH-X building, with a red X in the basement.
An old photo shines for a moment:
A young woman who looks exactly like Kagya.
Date: 20 years ago.
Title: Cinderella Project - Form 0
Scene 3: The Heiress and the Mystery
on the roof of the building – dawn
Yoshiro finds Sara standing at the edge, holding in her hand the old smart shoe she restarted.
"I'll go there." She says without turning around.
"i know." Yoshiro takes out a strange key from his pocket, "But you won't go alone."
The key has the old TECH-X logo... And another little logo: ⏳
Sarah turns at last, her eye reflecting the first light of the sun:
"this time... We'll break the rules together."