Maldo quickened his pace across the street until he reached the narrow alleyway, which seemed almost deserted, covered in the smell of mold and the remains of garbage piled up against the walls.
He stopped in front of it momentarily, staring at the place. Then his eyes fell on the scene
The girl was trapped between the dull brick walls, surrounded by about fifteen men. Their faces were coarse, and their eyes gleaming with filthy greed. They were more like a pack of wolves searching for new prey.
But what caught his attention was not their number... it was her.
With a steady hand, she grabbed the hem of her dress and tore it without hesitation.
Her gaze changed, a cold intensity burning behind a crazy smile, as if she had just stepped out of a cursed theater.
He contemplated the scene momentarily, then a cold, disgusted thought crossed his mind.
"A bunch of fools surrounding a girl... How disgusting."
Her voice rose defiantly, as if mocking their fear:
"Come on! Attack me, you scum!"
The men rushed toward her immediately, and she received them without hesitation. Her movements were sharp and organized, more like those of a skilled fighter than an ordinary girl.
Maldo watched what was happening without moving, his eyes observing calmly, but not without curiosity.
"Interesting..." he muttered in a low voice, before slowly advancing toward the fight.
He suddenly jumped, doing a full turn in the air, and landed nimbly on one of the men's heads to regain his balance. The blow was not just a physical movement but was charged with intense spiritual energy. The pressure alone was enough to knock the man to the ground, motionless, as if his strength exceeded the limits of the ordinary.
He stood in front of the girl, his piercing eyes revealing everything, and raised his hand in a sarcastic salute:
"No need to thank me later."
His sudden entrance surprised the girl, but she did not rejoice. The men's surprise was mixed with anger, and they all rushed towards him, trying to confront a force they were unprepared for.
Maldo fought professionally; every move was calculated with precision, and every step was measured. Despite the number of his opponents, the battle tilted in his favor with little effort. His strength was cold and focused, making his opponents doubt their abilities before they were even hit.
The girl didn't move, her eyes fixed on every movement, watching intently. She whispered to herself, half surprised, half impressed:
"He's a bad boy... Damn, I like him."
If Luca had been here, he would have burned them all at once. Maldo thought calmly as he delivered a precise blow to one of them, knocking out his front tooth. I want to use my power too... but that will scare the girl! What should I do then?
He thought about a way to end the confrontation without overexerting himself, his eyes scanning the area intently. His gaze fell on one of the old houses, its wall about to collapse, and suddenly the idea seemed obvious.
He approached, grabbed a man, and threw him toward the dilapidated wall, using precise spiritual power to cause some of the stones to fall on the rest of the men. He didn't need all his strength, just a clever manipulation of the environment.
The number of opponents quickly decreased. Although some of them were injured or fell under the rubble, the real terror appeared in only four men, when they decided to flee immediately, unable to face this cold and calm control.
"Chau," Maldo said quietly, watching the four men flee in panic.
He was about to turn to the girl to check on her when he was surprised to see her approaching him with unexpected speed. He was momentarily stunned and stumbled backward, tripping over one of the men's feet on the ground.
The girl said in a soft voice, mixed with gratitude and surprise:
"Thank you..."
She reached out her hand toward him, as if to restore his balance.
He looked at her for a moment, then gently pushed her hand away and got up without answering immediately.
He brushed the dirt and snow off his coat, took it off, threw it toward her, and said in his usual calm voice, devoid of any emotion:
"No need to thank me... I told you from the beginning."
He turned to leave, his steps steady and unwavering, but the sound of her light footsteps behind him told him that she was still following him.
She walked slowly beside him, trying to keep up with his pace, then said in a faint voice tinged with hope:
"Okay... at least tell me your name."
He replied without turning to her, as if the wind had carried his words:
"And you don't need to know mine either."
She stopped in her tracks, looking at his receding, her silence heavier than the snow falling around them.
In her eyes was a faint spark of curiosity, and in her heart was a question she did not dare to ask.
As for him, he continued walking without turning around...
He walked away with quiet steps, leaving behind a strange silence that filled the place,
a silence that resembled him perfectly: cold, mysterious, and difficult to understand.
Those men... They were undoubtedly members of some gang.
He thought about this as he emerged from the narrow alleys onto the main street.
But what were they after?
The question lingered in his mind without an answer, like a distant echo that refused to fade.
He put his hands in his pockets and walked slowly as the cold breeze played with the hem of his shirt.
The street here was completely different, bustling with life, with sounds, with people who were completely unaware of what had happened behind those gray walls.
He passed by them silently, their eyes unconsciously turning toward him.
Perhaps it was because of the burn that cut across his face, or perhaps it was something else, unknown.
He did not turn around, nor did he show any interest in those glances.
He simply continued walking through the streets until he returned to the same café he had left a few minutes earlier,
as if nothing had happened in that dark alley where no one but him had witnessed the chaos.
He pushed the door open lightly and was greeted by the smell of warm coffee and the sound of small spoons tapping against the sides of cups.
In the corner, Luca and Daniel were waiting for him, as if they knew he would return.
Daniel looked up as soon as he saw him and said in a tone that combined concern and surprise:
"What happened? Why did you leave so quickly?"
Maldo replied calmly and pulled up a chair opposite them:
"I had something I needed to do, that's all."
The two friends exchanged glances for a
moment, then Luca said, pointing to the empty plate in front of him:
"You missed the most delicious dessert in the place, man. The tiramisu this time is not to be missed."
He raised his cup with a sideways smile and continued:
"And the espresso... it brought me back to life."
Maldo looked at him with a half-smile and said with a rare lightness in his voice:
"Hmm... That explains why the great Luca is covered in cream from his face to his nose."
"Ha! Shut up, you idiot!" Luca said quickly, wiping his face hastily with a napkin, trying to hide the traces of cream.
Daniel and Maldo both smiled, but Maldo's eyes quickly slipped away from the table, quietly scanning the faces of those present in the cafe.
For him, those glances were more than just curiosity... it was a different vision, unlike what others saw.
Colors slowly began to appear before his eyes, faint specters wrapping around people like light emanating from within them.
Some of them had natural colors, interspersed with barely visible dark shadows,
while others were flooded with black and white together, as if their intentions were lost between good and evil.
And some left nothing but darkness in his vision... completely black intentions.
He contemplated the scene in heavy silence, feeling something tighten in his chest.
I didn't expect to see dark intentions in ordinary people too... I thought that was only for gangsters.
That was what Maldo had concluded...
that darkness was not confined to the dark corners of the city,
But sometimes inhabited faces that looked completely normal.
Suddenly, the café door opened violently, and a girl entered with nervous steps, saying quickly:
"Excuse me! Am I late?"
The conversations stopped, and all eyes turned toward her in surprise.
She was breathing heavily, and her dress still bore the marks of the previous battle.
Maldo looked up at her, and as soon as he recognized her, his eyes widened in quiet astonishment.
Damn... It's her!
A brief silence fell over the table before it was broken by Daniel's sudden voice:
"Oliva!"
Everyone raised their eyebrows in astonishment, while he alone seemed to recognize her.
In the very next moment, Maldo disappeared from his chair.
Luca looked at his empty seat, then heard a faint rustling under the table.
He bent down slightly to find Maldo crouched there, holding a coffee cup as a shield in front of his face.
"Are... are you hiding?!" whispered Luca, stifling his laughter.
Maldo quickly replied, crouching further under the table:
"Why would I hide?! Just go away!"
Luca raised his eyebrow mischievously, but retreated to his seat, trying to stifle his laughter, while Oliva approached them.
"Teacher Daniel!" She called out in a lively voice, before shaking his hand in a cheerful manner that clearly showed they had been doing this for a long time.
Daniel laughed warmly and said, looking at her with paternal pride:
"You've changed, girl... Look at you, you've become really beautiful!"
Oliva raised her eyebrows slightly and said jokingly:
"Huh? Who's become beautiful? Look at yourself first! You've become very handsome, man!"
Go on... just go...
The thought echoed insistently in Maldo's head as he crouched further into the shadows, watching the hem of her dress move near the table.
He didn't dare breathe deeply, as if the air itself might give him away.
Every second that passed was unbearably long, until he heard Daniel's calm voice break the silence.
"This is Luca, a friend of mine."
Daniel then raised his gaze with calculated ease, his eyes sparkling with a sarcasm that Maldo knew well, and said slowly and deliberately:
"And with us... Maldo. Come out and meet Oliva."
Damn you, Daniel...
Maldo pursed his lips, his chest sinking with a small sigh that was closer to resignation than anger.
He hesitated for a moment, then finally raised his head, trying to appear as normal as possible, even though his ears were burning with embarrassment.
"I lost... my spoon," he said in a hesitant voice that lacked conviction, raising his coffee cup as flimsy evidence of his lie.
Only then did he realize that trying to justify himself was worse than hiding.
"You!" Oliva exclaimed excitedly as soon as she saw him, then put her finger to her lips as if suddenly remembering something, and said with a wide smile, "Oh... so your name is Maldo, I finally know it!"
Luca interjected with a slight tone of sarcasm as he raised his eyebrow:
"I see you two know each other already." Then he looked at her coat and said with a sideways smile, "And is this his coat too? Oh, how wonderful."
Maldo froze. His eyes were dull, his face expressionless.
But inside, thoughts were racing, colliding like waves in a closed storm.
Should he smile?
Should he explain?
Should he run away?
In the end, he did nothing. He settled for a single, faint thought that passed through his mind like a whisper that only he could hear.
I missed your hidden version, Luca...