Twilight Requiem

Zuberis

Nyx woke from her dream, chest heaving. She was convinced that it was just a nightmare. She couldn't be some kind of entity that could easily kill a human being.

‘But you are capable of all those things.’

She heard the voice again.

Then Nyx saw her reflection on the vanity mirror just in front of her. Her face had that sinister smile as her other self.

“I’m losing my mind,” Nyx mumbled.

‘No, you are not. You are just in denial of who you are or what you are,’ her reflection said.

Nyx shook her head and got out of bed, checking on Klaus. The baby was still sleeping, so Nyx decided to take a shower and get ready for their meeting with Celestino’s boss.

After she got dressed, that’s when Klaus woke up, crying. She smiled and took him out of the crib, carrying him in her arms, rubbing his back.

“Ssshh. Mommy is here,” she cooed.

Then there was a knock on the door.

“Come in,” she said.

The door opened, and it was the nanny carrying the bottle of milk she prepared. Nyx took the bottle and started feeding Klaus.

“Please prepare for his bath,” she told the nanny while she fed her baby.

The nanny nodded and started preparing Klaus’ things. After Klaus drank his milk, Nyx handed him over to the nanny so he could take his bath, and she went to the closet to prepare his change of clothes.

When Celestino came to the guest house, he also had his maids bring food.

“Are you ready?” Celestino asked Nyx.

“Are we going now? Klaus is still getting ready,” she asked back.

“Not yet. We’ll have a meal first,” he answered, and Nyx nodded.

After they ate, Nyx prepared a bag for Klaus and her purse as well before Celestino led them outside, where his SUV was waiting. The drive towards the mafia family estate was nerve-wracking for Eina.

It was her first time meeting the people that was connected to her mother, and that they were a real-life mafia family.

The drive towards the family estate was short, as they were both in the same area. Soon they arrived in front of the huge metal gates. They opened automatically, and the SUV we were riding drove inside the long private road surrounded with lushed tree.

And at the end of that road was the estate. Perched high on the hilltop is a beautifully restored stone villa with sweeping views across the Bay of Kotor and the surrounding mountains.

“Wow,”

I blurted when I saw the building at the end of the road.

“It’s a restored ten-bedroom 400-year-old stone property. It was once a home to a traditional olive mill. The whole property is surrounded by olive groves, historic hamlets and coastal villages.”

Celestino explained the estate.

“There are local beaches just a 15-minute drive away. It's great for a peaceful setting for relaxing while staying within easy reach of the sea.” He added.

“It's very beautiful,”

Nyx replied, looking outside the window. As they got closer, she saw the sun-drenched terrace and private swimming pool on the side, perfectly positioned to take in the spectacular views. There were loungers next to the pool, where guests could unwind.

Once they stopped at the estate’s front entrance, Nyx climbed down immediately to look at the side of the property. There she saw a shaded pergola, attached to a summer kitchen and barbecue that can be used for relaxing alfresco dining. There is also a terraced garden, filled with fragrant Mediterranean herbs, which adds to the villa’s rustic charm and inviting atmosphere.

“Beautiful?”

Celestino asked, and Nyx nodded.

“Let’s go in,”

Celestino led Nyx and Klaus, who was in his arms, inside the estate. Inside, Nyx noticed the traditional features such as exposed stone walls and wooden beams, paired with modern comforts. She also saw a fully equipped kitchen and dining area provide a sociable space for meals, while the living room had a wood-burning stove and TV.

The living room has two huge and long couches that have two oak coffee tables in between. The wood parquet flooring was semi-covered with expensive Egyptian carpet.

“How many rooms does this villa have?” Nyx asked.

Celestino joined him in the living room.

“Ten bedrooms with two double bedrooms, each with a king-size bed and en-suite bathroom. One room at the side has direct access to the garden,” he answered.

“This is beautiful,” she mumbled.

Celestino handed Klaus to his nanny and asked them to sit on the couch.

“I will see the boss now. Wait here,” he said, and Nyx nodded, turning towards her son, playing with him.

Nyx kept her son focused on her and not on the armed men scattered all over the villa. All those men were tall, and their bodies were huge.

Celestino was gone for a few minutes, and when he came back, he was with a younger man, tall and with wavy dirty blonde hair. Nyx stood up when she saw them walk to the living room.

“Nyx, this is Teddy Zuberi. He is the current boss of the Zuberi family.” Celestino said, introducing the man standing next to him.

Nyx gave him a curt nod.

“Hello. Nice to meet you,” she said.

Teddy smirked and offered his hand to her. Nyx took his hand.

“Nice to meet you. You must be Nicola.” Teddy said, and Nyx smiled at him. But that smile dropped when Teddy kissed her knuckles.

Celestino pulled Teddy back.

“Stop it.” He hissed at him, and then he looked at Nyx.

“Come, Thaddeus wants to see you.”

Nyx looked at Celestino and nodded. Teddy then led them upstairs, where the rooms are. Teddy led them to a double-door room, and when he opened it, they heard the soft beeping of a heart monitor.

They went in, and Nyx noticed the room was turned into a hospital. Close to the huge floor-to-ceiling window was a hospital bed surrounded by hospital apparatus. On the bed was a frail man who looked like Teddy, but older.

Teddy walked closer towards the old man as Celestino urged Nyx to come closer. The man then opened his eyes and looked in her direction. He looked weak, but he still tried to smile.

“Nicola,” he said weakly.

“How do you do, sir?”

Nyx responded, and he smiled wider.

“You looked a lot like your mother. My dear Niana, your daughter is home,”

He said, melancholy.

“My father is very sick, and I’m afraid he won't last long,” Teddy said.

Thaddeus motioned for Nyx to come close, to the side of the bed. Nyx walked closer and sat on the chair there.

“Your mother, she must be happy now that you are here with us, with her family,” Thaddeus said.

“Celestino said you took my mother in,” Nyx said, and the old man nodded.

“She is an adoptive daughter who did so much for this family. Now, it's your turn to be taken in by this family. Celestino told me everything that you went through.” Thaddeus said.

“Everything? Like really everything?”

Nyx asked worriedly, and then she looked at Celestino.

“If it's about the boy, yes, I told him about that too,” he said.

I gawked at him, looking at all of them, worried that they would see me as a monster.

“Don’t worry. We understand why you did it. Everyone else in this room has blood in their hands,” Teddy said.

Nyx lowered her head, still haunted by what happened that night.

“There is another reason why I called you here,”

Thaddeus said, and Nyx looked at him.

“What do you mean?” she asked.

“When Celestino called me about what happened to you, we decided to tell you what your mother told us. What you did to the boy, it's something inevitable.”

Thaddeus said, and Nyx frowned.

“What do you mean?”