Damn it!
"That's enough! This time, the night will witness my anger, the dust will preserve your end, the earth will store the sound of my footsteps, and the air will preserve your torn screams and your crying voice."
The words flew from Maldo's mouth like a powerful slap to the faces of everyone in the square, echoing like a storm that had not yet subsided. Could the mind of a child just past the age of twelve carry such anger and control?
Luca stood in front of Sally like an impenetrable shield to deter any attempt to approach.
Daniel stood silently watching the scene, his arms crossed, leaving the situation entirely in Maldo's hands.
As for Enzo, he clutched his face with a fist filled with pain and rage, screaming and gasping, before his eyes met the steady feet in front of him. His heart raced with every passing second, until he discovered that Maldo was standing there, right in front of him.
"Get out of my face, you bastard!" Enzo exploded.
"Get out! You must be joking... I'm here to kill you, you bastard!"
He suddenly raised his hand, and Enzo rose into the air as if an invisible rope had pulled his neck upward.
Enzo kicked violently with his feet and said in a muffled voice.
"Damn it! Who are you really?"
"I am... I am your nightmare, and the nightmare of those like you. I am Maldo, the Black Swan," Maldo replied.
Then, without mercy, he let go of Enzo, who fell to the ground with a thud.
Several footsteps approached him. They were the footsteps of the guards, who surrounded him in a circle, raising their weapons toward Maldo. Among them, Don Dante stepped forward.
"Maldo, let Enzo go immediately, or else..." said Don Dante.
"Or else what?" Maldo replied calmly, then a violent gust of wind burst forth from him, pushing the guards away like light leaves and scattering them across the courtyard.
This sight sent a chill down Don's almost causing him to fall, but what frightened him more was his amazement at the strange flight of the guards.
"No!" he said, flustered, then continued, trying to control himself, "I will not lose Enzo just for his servant!"
Those words made Maldo's nerves show on his face. He turned around, his eyes now crimson like burning embers, looking exactly like Luca's.
A powerful dark aura emanated from him, felt by everyone in the room.
Luca noticed the significant change in him and pursed his lips. "Damn! He's using too much power... He'll hurt himself like this!"
He began searching left and right for anything he could use to stop him, then his eyes fell on a nearby pillar, only a meter away from Maldo and Don.
He moved his hand as if it were a shovel, and the pillar broke without hurting anyone. Everyone turned towards the pillar, and a deep fear crept into them, afraid that the ceiling would fall on them.
Luca took advantage of the chaos and pushed Daniel: "Bring Maldo!"
Daniel heard the voice, but he didn't know where it came from. He was surprised, but he obeyed the order, rushed towards Maldo, and pulled him forcefully.
Maldo's body was tense, as if he no longer had control over it, as if another entity inhabited and controlled him.
With every step, his eyes searched for Sally's body, and when he reached her, he carried her in his arms.
What's wrong with his eyes? Or rather, what happened? Daniel thought as he stared at Maldo in front of him, lost in thought.
Maldo was preparing to leave, carrying Sally in his arms, his eyes empty of life, as if lost in a deep void.
The Don gestured to the guards.
"Don't let him leave!"
The guards quickly lined up, clenching their fists on their weapons and advancing.
One of them approached and reached out to take Sally from his arms.
In that same instant, an invisible force shot out, severing his hand at the wrist.
The severed hand rolled on the ground, blood spurting profusely, and the guard fell to his knees, screaming in pain.
The rest of the guards recoiled, their faces pale, their eyes trembling with fear.
"Don't you dare touch Sally, you filthy creatures," said Maldo, walking through the pool of blood
through the dark corridors until he reached his room. There, he laid her gently on the bed and pulled the blanket over her small body.
Luca followed behind him, silent, watching silently, unable to speak.
Maldo sat down next to her, touching her cold forehead with his hand.
"Sally is cold. Her limbs are frozen... Her lips are black." He added, "It's my fault she's like this."
Another voice came from the doorway, calm but confident. Daniel had appeared and heard every word Maldo said.
He said,
"It's not your fault, Maldo..."
Daniel looked at him sadly, approached slowly, and reached out to stroke Maldo's head, then ran his hand over Sally's head, which was lying in front of them.
"You can cry, you can scream... then pull yourself together. Lift your head, stand up, and remember that Sally is not dead, she lives on in our hearts," said Daniel.
"I promised her... I promised her I would get her out of this place. I told her that, I swore to her," Maldo said in a low voice.
Daniel put his hand on his shoulder.
"Then get out. Isn't that her last request? Hold on to it if "
Daniel's words shook Maldo to his core, and he collapsed into his arms and burst into tears, his tears falling warmly into his embrace.
Daniel reached out and patted him on the shoulder, his face also filled with sadness. "It's okay."
He cried until he gradually calmed down, then slowly raised his head, tears still glistening on his cheeks.
"I... I will make this place witness Sally's death. I will destroy everyone."
Daniel breathed a relative sigh of relief, seeing a spark of strength amid the rubble of pain.
"Let me take Sally now... She must be buried," he said quietly.
Maldo froze for a moment, then turned toward her. He reached out and touched her hair, then bent down and kissed her forehead one last time.
"Become a beautiful star... Sally," he whispered to her.
As soon as Maldo finished saying goodbye, Daniel took off his jacket and gently placed it over her silent body, then carried her in his arms, walking carefully, as if she were the most precious thing he owned.
Maldo sat on the bench, his eyes fixed on her place, filled with an indescribable sadness. Suddenly, Luca appeared on his shoulders, whispering softly:
"Goodbye, Sally..."
On Maldo's desk was a black notebook with a small drawing of a phoenix that Sally had drawn with her childish hand. Maldo gently wiped his hand over the cover, then opened it and picked up a pen.
He wrote…
[One day I wondered about the meaning of loss, and today I realized its truth. Loss is a sudden feeling that visits you like an unwelcome guest. You live your life as usual, and in a single moment, everything changes.
I realized this when I lost the girl who made my days bright with her smile, who taught me how to be happy. I felt that my heart was empty of something important, and that life had become more difficult. Despite my sadness, I know that I must go on, and that the beautiful memories remain with me, making me smile even if they are small. And yet... I cannot smile now.]
He resorted to writing, jotting down in his notebook everything that crossed his mind, every pain he experienced, and every promise he made to himself.
He was in a bitter internal struggle between the desire to escape until he made a clear and irreversible decision: he would stay in this filthy place until he grew strong enough to crush them all.
From that moment on, a journey of no return began... a journey of revenge that ran through his veins like blood.
He spent his days torn between training with Daniel and honing his body to become a living sword, and practicing magical movements with Luca, slowly stepping toward a power he had never known before.
With each passing day, anger and hatred took root within him, like embers under ashes that would not be extinguished.
The days passed, the months fell away, and the years followed one after another as if pushing him toward his destiny. Maldo matured, and with him grew his scars like the branches of a twisted tree that only bloomed with blood.
By the time he reached twenty, he was no longer the boy who smiled or sought warmth from others. He had become a mysterious person who knew no kindness and allowed no one to get close to him.
His words were as sharp as a sword, and his actions were as calculated as the steps of an assassin waiting for the right moment to strike.