“Shut the fuck up,” I roared, my shadows lashing out, forcing him to step back.
But he wasn’t finished. He tilted his head, his gaze dark and calculating. “I shouldn’t have sacrificed Giulia. She was strong. Stronger than you’ll ever be. I should’ve sacrificed you instead. You were always the weakest link, Raffaele. Always the one destined to fail.”
The words cut deep, not because I believed them, but because they carried the truth of the cruelty he had inflicted on our family. On my innocent sister. My hands clenched into fists, my power rising with my anger.
Vivian’s voice broke through my spiraling thoughts. “Your blood, Raffaele! The mirror showed me—you need your blood to destroy it.”
I turned toward her, her words slicing through the chaos. The answer had been in front of me all along. My blood—his blood. The link that bound us to this twisted legacy.
My father’s expression darkened further, his sneer etched into his face. “And what will you do with that knowledge, boy? Bleed yourself dry? It won’t matter. You are nothing without me.”
“No,” I said firmly. “I am everything in spite of you.”
The room pulsed with an unbearable tension as my father prowled around, trying to find Vivian as she shifted quietly around the room. His voice dripped with venom as he taunted us. “You think hiding her will save her, boy? She’s as good as dead, and you’re only prolonging the inevitable.”
His words grated against my resolve, but I refused to rise to his bait. My focus locked on the shattered remains of the doll on the cold stone floor. The lifeless porcelain fragments shimmered under the eerie light of the chamber. That cursed thing had been the key to his immortality, a mockery of life—and of death.
My shadows coiled tightly around me, gathering into the shape of a blade. The bond with Vivian was a steady heartbeat in the back of my mind, her worry and silent encouragement fueling my determination. I didn’t dare look at her illusioned form in the corner. If he’d realized she was there, he’d strike her down without hesitation.
“Come on, Raffaele,” my father sneered. “What’s your next move? Don’t keep me waiting.”
Without a word, I dragged the blade across my forearm, feeling the sharp sting as it opened a deep wound. The crimson flowed freely, pooling in my hand before I tipped it over the shattered doll, letting it drip down the porcelain pieces. The blood soaked into the cracks, darkening the pristine surface.
The reaction was immediate.
The room seemed to inhale sharply, the air growing heavy and electric. The runes lining the chamber walls flared to life, bathing the space in harsh, flickering light. The oppressive darkness that clung to my father wavered, and his expression twisted into something I hadn’t seen before—genuine fear.
“No!” He lunged toward me, but my shadows surged forward, halting his advance. He clawed at the air, his body convulsing as black smoke began to seep from his skin. It was as if the very fabric of him was unraveling.
I stood frozen to the spot as his form disintegrated, his power crumbling like ash in the wind. Then, amid the chaos, a soft, golden light began to rise from the doll’s remains. It grew brighter, coalescing into the silhouette of a small girl.
“Giulia…” Her name left my lips as a whisper, barely audible over the fading screams of my father.
Her form became clearer with each passing second. Dark curls framed her face, her eyes wide and luminous with the innocence stolen from her too soon. She was just as I remembered her. A fragile, beautiful memory made flesh.
“Hi, big brother,” she said.
My knees hit the ground as tears blurred my vision. “Giulia… I’m so sorry,” I choked out. “I failed you. I didn’t protect you. I should’ve been there.”
Her smile was so gentle, so understanding, it made my heart ache. “You didn’t fail me, Raffaele. You’ve always been the best big brother.”
“No,” I said, shaking my head as sobs wracked my body. “I let him take you. I didn’t stop him. I—I—” My voice broke, the weight of years of guilt crashing down on me all at once.
“You’re protecting me now,” she said, stepping closer, her small form radiating a warmth that seemed to ease the cold darkness of the chamber. “You set me free. You freed us both.”
I reached out, as if to touch her, but my hand passed through her ethereal form. “I’ll never forgive myself for not being there when you needed me.”
“You’ve done more than I could have ever asked,” she said. “You’ve fought so hard, Raffaele. Not just for yourself, but for everyone you love. I see that now. And I’m proud of you.”
The tears came harder then, my shoulders shaking as I buried my face in my hands. Her words were a balm and a dagger all at once, healing and cutting me in equal measure. “I miss you,” I whispered. “I’ll always miss you.”
“I’ll always be with you,” she said, stepping closer and leaning forward as though to kiss my cheek. Her light washed over me, a comforting warmth that filled every hollow space inside me. “I’m so proud of you, big brother. Don’t ever forget that.”
Her form began to shimmer, her edges softening as she turned to golden mist. “Goodbye, Raffaele,” she said, her voice fading like a whisper on the wind.
“Goodbye, Giulia,” I choked out.
The room was unnervingly still, the only sounds my ragged breathing and the faint crackle of dissipating magic. Giulia’s presence lingered like the remnants of a dream, filling the chamber with a warmth I hadn’t felt in decades. My father—his oppressive shadow, his unrelenting cruelty—was gone, leaving behind nothing but ash and silence.
