The crowd jeered and cheered, their energy electric as the prisoners were forced to their knees at the center of the arena.
Izo’s voice echoed through the arena, smooth and commanding, silencing the crowd with its magnetic pull. He stepped forward from the dais, his silver eyes gleaming as they swept across the throng of spectators. The glow from the dome above cast him in an almost divine light, a cruel mockery of justice incarnate.
“Today,” he began, “we bring forth the enemies of the Ashen Faction. Today, you will witness justice delivered to those who dared to challenge our sovereignty, our strength, and the very legacy of our people.”
The crowd roared, a wave of noise that reverberated through the arena, feeding Izo’s smirk. He raised a hand, and silence fell once more.
“For years we have endured the arrogance of The Shadow and his ilk, their belief that their dark magic, their illusions, could make them untouchable. They walked among us as if they were gods, as if their power gave them the right to dominate and destroy. But today, that illusion shatters.”
He gestured to the prisoners, bound and kneeling in the center of the arena. Raffaele, Vincenzo, Dorian, Luca, andCamilla were forced into the spotlight, the water bindings at their wrists glinting like cruel ornaments of submission.
“These are not just the enemies of the Ashen Faction,” Izo said. “They are the inheritors of a bloodline steeped in sin and cruelty. The Shadow’s family has long inflicted pain upon my people, exploiting and destroying with no regard for the lives they trampled beneath their feet.”
His gaze now locked on Raffaele, cold and venomous.
“You may think this is a feud between mafia lords, between factions,” Izo said, his tone turning darker. “But it is so much more. This is retribution for decades of pain, for the merciless slaughter of my father at the hands of The Shadow’s father. A death dealt with no trial, no negotiation—just ruthless, unprovoked violence.”
The crowd erupted again, a symphony of anger and approval that fed the fire in Izo’s voice. He raised his arms, letting the fury build before speaking again.
“My father was a great leader. A visionary. He sought peace, sought to broker alliances, but his overtures were met with betrayal. The Shadow’s father butchered him, snuffed out his light before it could unite us. And they thought the Ashen would cower, that we would fade into the depths of the sea. But they underestimated our resolve. Our strength.”
His hand curled into a fist as he turned back to the prisoners.
“Today, that long-overdue justice will finally be served. Today, the sins of the past will be answered. The legacy of their cruelty ends here.”
The crowd was a living, breathing entity now, its fervor a tidal wave that threatened to drown everything in its path.
“And you,” Izo said, addressing the prisoners, his voice dripping with mockery, “will know the pain you have inflicted on others. You will bear the weight of your family’s sins and pay the price in full.”
Izo descended from his throne, his every step exuding power and control. He removed their blindfolds one by one, his smile sharp and predatory.
Raffaele’s dark eyes snapped to mine the moment his blindfold was gone. My breath caught in my throat, my heart twisting painfully.
He looked at me like I was a lifeline.
“Vivian,” he said, his voice hoarse but steady.
I flinched, my body trembling as the compulsion surged to smother the familiarity in his voice, the warmth in his gaze.
“Silence,” Izo commanded, his tone icy.
Raffaele’s jaw tightened, but he said nothing more.
Izo turned to me, and my stomach twisted.
“Vivian,” he said, his voice dripping with mock tenderness. “Approach them.”
My body obeyed before my mind could catch up, my steps slow and hesitant as I moved toward the prisoners. My hands trembled at my sides, my breath shallow as I stopped in front of them.
“Isn’t she a sight to behold?”
The crowd cheered.
Raffaele’s gaze never left mine. “Vivian,” he pleaded. “I’m here. I’m right here. It’s okay.”
“Vivian, my dear,” Izo said, his voice a silken thread that wrapped around my thoughts. “Do you see them? Do you see how powerless they are? They are nothing compared to you. To us.”
I nodded automatically, though my mind screamed in protest.
