CHAPTER FIVE
1952 Words
The Man in the Darkness
Someone was standing behind them.
Elias couldn't breathe.
The emergency lights were still off, leaving the underground room almost completely dark.
Only the faint red glow from the alarm illuminated the walls.
Adrian reacted first.
He turned sharply, pulling Elias behind him.
His gun was already in his hand.
“Who's there?”
Silence.
Then a quiet laugh.
Elias knew that voice.
It was the same voice from the video.
The man who had called him little Moretti.
Luca immediately raised his weapon.
“Show yourself!”
A figure slowly stepped out from behind the concrete pillar.
A man.
Tall.
Dressed completely in black.
His face was hidden beneath a dark hood.
He wasn't holding a gun.
That somehow made him more frightening.
Adrian's eyes narrowed.
“Vieri.”
Salvatore, still tied to the chair, suddenly laughed.
“You're late.”
The stranger lowered his hood.
Elias stared.
He was older, perhaps in his late forties, with a scar running from his left eyebrow down toward his cheek.
But it was his eyes that frightened Elias.
They were cold.
Familiar.
And somehow...
Elias had seen those eyes before.
The man looked directly at him.
“So this is him.”
Adrian stepped forward.
“Don't look at him.”
The stranger smiled.
“You're still protecting him.”
Adrian's voice became dangerously calm.
“Take one more step and you won't leave this room alive.”
The man laughed.
“You haven't changed.”
Elias looked between them.
“You know each other?”
Neither answered.
The stranger's attention returned to Elias.
“Your father would have been proud.”
Elias felt a chill.
“You knew my father?”
“I knew him very well.”
“What was his name?”
The man smiled.
“Luciano.”
Elias's heart tightened.
“Tell me about him.”
Adrian turned toward him.
“Elias, don't.”
“I want to know.”
The stranger took another step.
“Your father was powerful. Intelligent. Respected.”
He paused.
“Unfortunately, he was also foolish.”
Elias frowned.
“Why?”
“Because he believed loyalty mattered.”
Adrian's hand tightened around his gun.
The stranger noticed.
“Still angry, Adrian?”
Adrian's expression didn't change.
“You killed them.”
The stranger shrugged.
“I gave them a chance.”
Elias's breathing stopped.
“You killed my parents?”
The man's eyes met his.
“I gave the order.”
Everything became silent.
Elias couldn't move.
His hands began trembling.
“You…”
His voice broke.
“You killed them.”
“Yes.”
Adrian immediately stepped closer to Elias.
But Elias pushed past him.
“Why?”
The stranger looked at him.
“Because your father refused to give me what belonged to my family.”
“The throne?”
The man smiled.
“Exactly.”
Elias shook his head.
“I don't understand.”
“You weren't supposed to.”
He pointed toward the black envelope Adrian had taken earlier.
“Your father stole the succession from me.”
Adrian interrupted.
“He didn't steal anything.”
The stranger looked at him.
“You always were loyal to Luciano.”
“I still am.”
“Even after he's dead?”
Adrian's eyes became colder.
“Especially after he's dead.”
The stranger smiled.
“That's why I always hated you.”
Suddenly, gunfire erupted from somewhere above them.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Luca looked toward the ceiling.
“They're inside.”
The stranger smiled.
“Of course they are.”
Adrian looked at him.
“You planned this.”
“I planned everything.”
He reached into his coat.
Adrian raised his gun.
“Don't.”
The man slowly pulled out a small remote.
Elias's eyes widened.
“What is that?”
The stranger smiled.
“Insurance.”
Adrian's face changed.
“Put it down.”
“You know what it does.”
Luca looked at Adrian.
“Boss?”
Adrian's voice was low.
“Everyone get down.”
The stranger pressed a button.
A deafening explosion rocked the mansion.
BOOM!
The entire room shook.
Dust fell from the ceiling.
Elias screamed as he lost his balance.
Adrian caught him.
For a moment, Elias found himself pressed against Adrian's chest.
Adrian's arm was firmly around his waist.
“Are you hurt?”
Elias shook his head.
“No.”
Adrian looked over him quickly.
“Anywhere?”
“No.”
Adrian exhaled.
Then he released him.
“We have to move.”
“Where?”
“Another exit.”
“What about him?”
Elias pointed toward the stranger.
But the man was gone.
Only Salvatore remained.
Adrian looked at the empty space.
“Damn it.”
Luca rushed toward Salvatore.
“Where did he go?”
Salvatore laughed.
“You should know.”
Luca grabbed him.
“Talk!”
Salvatore's smile widened.
“Your boss has spent twenty years running from the past.”
Adrian walked toward him.
“What did he do?”
Salvatore looked at Elias.
“He knows.”
Elias looked at Adrian.
“Knows what?”
Adrian said nothing.
Salvatore continued.
“Ask him about the night your father died.”
Elias turned toward Adrian.
“You were there.”
Adrian's jaw tightened.
“Yes.”
“And you saw everything?”
“Yes.”
“Then why didn't you tell me?”
Adrian's voice was quiet.
“Because I made a promise.”
“To my father?”
“Yes.”
“What promise?”
Adrian looked directly at him.
“To keep you away from the truth until you were old enough to survive it.”
Elias stared at him.
“I am old enough now.”
Adrian didn't answer.
“Am I?”
“Yes.”
“Then tell me.”
Before Adrian could speak, another explosion shook the building.
The ceiling cracked.
Luca shouted:
“We need to go!”
Adrian grabbed Elias's hand.
“Move.”
This time Elias didn't resist.
---
They ran through a narrow passage behind the safe room.
The walls were old.
The tunnel seemed to stretch endlessly beneath the mansion.
Elias could barely keep up.
“Where are we going?”
“Outside.”
“Is there another exit?”
“Yes.”
“Does everyone know about this?”
“No.”
“Then how do you—”
“Elias.”
“What?”
“Please stop talking.”
Elias blinked.
It was the first time Adrian had said please.
He fell silent.
They continued running.
Behind them, gunshots echoed through the tunnel.
“They're following us,” Luca shouted.
Adrian looked back.
“How far?”
“Maybe fifty meters.”
“Keep moving.”
Elias's breathing became heavier.
His legs hurt.
He stumbled.
Adrian immediately caught him.
“I can't—”
“You can.”
“I need a second.”
“We don't have one.”
Adrian pulled him upright.
“Lean on me.”
Elias hesitated.
Then he did.
They continued together.
For several minutes, neither spoke.
Elias became painfully aware of how close they were.
Adrian's arm was around his shoulders.
His breathing was steady.
His body was warm despite the cold tunnel.
Elias suddenly remembered what Adrian had said earlier.
I've been watching you for years.
He wondered how many times Adrian had been nearby without him knowing.
“How old were you when you met my father?”
Adrian glanced at him.
“Twenty-one.”
“And you were already in the mafia?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“My family.”
Elias nodded.
“So you never had a choice either.”
Adrian was silent.
Elias looked at him.
For the first time, Adrian didn't look like the terrifying mafia boss everyone feared.
He simply looked tired.
“You're not as different from me as you think.”
Adrian looked ahead.
“Don't make that mistake.”
“What mistake?”
“Thinking you understand me.”
Elias frowned.
“I didn't say I understood you.”
“You're trying to.”
“Maybe.”
Adrian looked at him briefly.
“Don't.”
Elias didn't respond.
But something inside him had changed.
He was beginning to realize there was more behind Adrian's coldness.
Much more.
---
They finally reached the end of the tunnel.
Adrian pushed open a heavy metal door.
Cold night air rushed in.
They emerged inside a small forest several hundred meters behind the mansion.
Elias turned.
Smoke was rising above the trees.
His heart sank.
“The mansion…”
“It's still standing,” Luca said.
“Barely.”
Adrian looked toward the road.
Three vehicles were waiting.
“Get in.”
They hurried toward them.
Suddenly—
BANG!
Luca fell.
“Luca!”
Elias screamed.
Adrian immediately pushed Elias behind the vehicle.
“Stay down!”
Another bullet struck the car.
Adrian fired toward the trees.
“There's a sniper!”
Luca crawled behind cover, clutching his shoulder.
Elias's heart raced.
Adrian looked at him.
“Stay here.”
Then he disappeared into the darkness.
Elias watched helplessly.
Seconds passed.
Then a gunshot.
Another.
Then silence.
Adrian emerged from between the trees.
His gun was lowered.
He walked toward them.
“It's clear.”
Elias looked at him.
“Are you okay?”
Adrian nodded.
“I'm fine.”
Elias noticed blood on his hand.
“That's not yours, is it?”
Adrian looked down.
“No.”
Elias swallowed.
“Good.”
Adrian studied him.
“You were worried.”
Elias looked away.
“I was worried about everyone.”
“Of course.”
There was something in his voice that made Elias glance back.
But Adrian had already turned away.
---
They reached the vehicle.
Luca was helped inside.
Adrian sat beside him.
Elias entered last.
The doors locked.
The vehicle sped away.
For several minutes, nobody spoke.
Then Elias remembered the envelope.
He looked at Adrian.
“Where is it?”
Adrian reached into his coat.
He pulled it out.
Elias stared at it.
“The thing everyone is killing for.”
“Yes.”
“Open it.”
Adrian shook his head.
“Not yet.”
“Why?”
“Because we need to know what we're dealing with.”
“You said it contains the truth.”
“It may contain more than that.”
Elias frowned.
“What do you mean?”
Adrian turned the envelope over.
There was a tiny line of writing on the back that neither of them had noticed before.
He held it beneath the vehicle's interior light.
Elias leaned closer.
The words slowly became visible.
WHEN THE HEIR RETURNS, THE KINGDOM WILL FALL.
Elias stared.
“What does that mean?”
Adrian's expression was unreadable.
Then his phone rang.
He answered.
“Speak.”
A man's panicked voice came through.
“Boss... we've searched the mansion.”
Adrian's eyes narrowed.
“And?”
“We found something.”
“What?”
A pause.
“The old portrait room.”
Adrian's face changed.
“What about it?”
“The portrait of Luciano Moretti is gone.”
Elias's heart stopped.
“What?”
Adrian looked at him.
The voice continued:
“And there's something written behind the empty frame.”
Adrian stood.
“What?”
The man swallowed.
“Three words.”
Adrian's grip tightened around the phone.
“Tell me.”
The answer came quietly.
“THE HEIR KNOWS.”
The call ended.
Elias looked at Adrian.
Neither man spoke.
Then Adrian slowly turned toward him.
And for the first time since Elias had met him...
Adrian looked afraid.
To be continued...
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