The ground trembled beneath Luca's boots as he charged through the smoke-filled gates, gunfire cracking all around him. His men fanned out, bullets flying, the sharp scent of gunpowder choking the air. Enzo shouted commands, Matteo dragged a bleeding soldier to cover, and Dario's men fired back with grim precision.
But Luca saw none of it. His eyes were fixed ahead, on the black stone tower where crimson light bled from shattered windows. His chest burned with fury, his throat raw from screaming their names.
"Aria! Nico! Nino!"
Another explosion rocked the fortress. Stone cracked and walls collapsed, but Luca didn't stop. His body was a storm of rage, tearing through guards like paper, his gun barking with deadly precision.
Every step forward was blood. Every heartbeat was a vow.
I will reach you. I will tear him apart. I will not lose you.
Inside the chamber, the air was thick with heat and smoke. The red symbols on the floor blazed brighter, the glow rising in spirals like fire climbing invisible ropes. The sound of chanting filled the space, not only Adrian's voice but something deeper, older, echoing through the walls.
Aria pressed her sons against her chest, rocking them as if her arms could keep the world from swallowing them whole.
Nico's lips trembled. "Mama… it hurts."
"I know, baby, I know," she whispered, tears soaking his hair. "I'm here. I won't let him take you again. I swear."
Adrian stood in the center of the circle, the silver bowl in his hands, his eyes shining with madness. He lifted the blade again, blood already drying along its edge.
"Two keys have turned," he said, his voice carrying like thunder. "But the door will not open with children alone. The line must be broken at its source. The father. The king. His blood is the lock. His blood is the seal."
Aria's stomach dropped. Her lips parted in horror. "No…"
Adrian smiled. "Yes. To end the Moretti name, to destroy it completely, I need Luca's blood. When he arrives, and he will, his death will close the door forever."
Gunfire rattled down the stone corridors as Luca stormed through, his men covering his back. Enzo dropped two guards with clean shots, Matteo blasted open a barricade with a grenade, and Dario's soldiers swept in to hold the hall.
But the fortress was endless, a maze of dark stone and smoke.
"Where?!" Luca roared, slamming a guard against the wall, his knife at the man's throat. "Where is he holding them?!"
The guard coughed, choking on his own blood. "The chamber… beneath the tower. You're already too late. The ritual..."
Luca's blade silenced him before he could finish.
"Move!" Luca bellowed, charging up the stairs two at a time.
Aria's fingernails dug into her palms until they bled. Her chest heaved as Adrian's words sank in.
He wanted Luca. He wanted to kill him in front of her.
Her heart twisted. She remembered every night Luca had stayed awake with the boys when they were sick. Every time he'd kissed her forehead after a long fight. Every promise he'd whispered in the dark: I'll always protect you. No matter what.
She could not let Adrian take him.
"Your madness will kill you," she spat, her voice shaking but strong. "Luca won't let you touch him. He'll kill you first."
Adrian's smile widened. "That is what I am counting on."
He raised the bowl again, chanting louder now, the symbols on the floor flaring brighter. The stone beneath him cracked, glowing red as if molten fire burned just below.
The clash of steel and bullets thundered outside the chamber as Luca's men broke through the last defenses. The heavy door shook under the force of the explosions.
Inside, Adrian laughed. "He comes."
The chamber doors blew open with a deafening crash. Smoke rolled across the floor, and in the center of it all stood Luca, his grey eyes ablaze. His gun was raised, his chest heaving, his face carved from fury itself.
"Adrian!"
Aria sobbed, her body trembling with relief. "Luca!"
The twins clutched her tighter, crying out as their father's voice filled the chamber.
Luca stepped forward, his weapon aimed straight at Adrian's heart. "Let them go. Now. Or I swear I will make you choke on your own blood."
Adrian only smiled, lowering the bowl as if welcoming him. "Ah… the king arrives."
The standoff froze the chamber. Luca's men spread along the walls, guns raised. Adrian's guards mirrored them, blades and rifles at the ready.
Aria pressed against the bars, her voice raw. "Luca, don't, he wants your blood. That's what he's been waiting for!"
Adrian's eyes gleamed. "Clever girl. Yes. Your blood, Luca. Your life. The final sacrifice. Only then does the door seal forever. The Moretti name, erased from the earth."
Luca's gun didn't waver. "Then I'll die before I let you touch my sons."
Adrian laughed, a sound that scraped the soul. "Oh, you will die. But first, you will watch."
He snapped his fingers. One guard seized Aria through the bars, wrenching her back. Another dragged Nico from her arms.
Aria screamed, thrashing, her nails clawing the air. "No! No, please! Not my baby! Luca, help!"
Luca's chest ripped open with rage. He took a step forward, his gun steady, his voice like ice. "Let him go, Adrian. Let him go, or I'll blow your head off."
Adrian lifted the blade, pressing it lightly against Nico's neck. The boy whimpered, his small chest shaking.
"Shoot, then," Adrian whispered. "Let's see if you're faster than me."
Time stopped. The chamber was silence and heartbeat and terror.
Luca's finger tightened on the trigger.
Aria's scream pierced the air. "No!"
But before Luca could fire, the ground itself shook.
The red symbols blazed brighter, fire erupting from the cracks in the stone. The air grew thick, burning, a roar rising from beneath the floor like something alive.
Adrian's smile twisted into madness. "Yes! The door opens!"
The chamber split with a deafening crack, stone tearing apart. Smoke and red light poured from below, the sound of chains clattering from deep within.
Nico screamed, Nino clung to Aria, and Luca's men stumbled as the floor shook beneath them.
Adrian threw his arms wide, his blade gleaming. "The blood of kings will seal it! Give me Moretti's heart!"
His guards surged forward. Gunfire exploded. Screams filled the chamber.
Luca dove, tackling Nico out of Adrian's grip just as the blade slashed down, cutting only air. He rolled, clutching his son against his chest, his gun blazing at the guards.
Aria sobbed with relief, reaching through the bars. "Luca!"
But Adrian only laughed louder, raising the bowl again. "Run, fight, bleed, it changes nothing! The ritual is awake. And only blood can finish it!"
The chamber was chaos. Enzo shot down two guards, Matteo slammed one into the stone, but more poured in, blades flashing. Dario barked orders, his soldiers firing in ruthless bursts.
Luca pressed Nico against Aria through the bars, his hand cupping Aria's tear-streaked face. "Hold him. Don't let go."
Her fingers clutched his wrist. "Luca..."
But he turned, his gun aimed at Adrian again.
The madman stood in the center of the glowing circle, the bowl raised, the knife dripping blood. His eyes locked on Luca's, burning with hunger.
"Your blood, Moretti!" he roared. "Give me your blood!"
The floor cracked open wider. A massive shadow stirred beneath the stone, the sound of chains rattling louder.
And as the firelight flared, Adrian lunged straight at Luca.