A darkness that emitted discomfort, fear, trauma, and insecurities, came closer and closer to where Aeris was, in a white room with blue stripes. This darkness became thick, thus reaching the door where Aeris stood. She felt confused and alarmed, desperately trying to activate her jégosgalia.

  Aeris: "Steelheart Fury, Steel-"

  Slow steps, with a unique rhythm. One, two, one, two. The second step was a little faster, which for Aeris became familiar to... Its boss, Hjalmer Drameus. Aeris fell silent with tears in her eyes, covering her mouth with both hands as she slid over the wall, falling into a sitting position.

  Aeris: "Boss...?"

  Hjalmer smiled as he approached Aeris slowly. She, for some reason, activates her jégosgalia.

  Aeris: "Steelheart Fury."

  Metal tridents are thrown at the boss, and he does not react. The tridents pierce the chief as he walks. He reached Aeris, she simply watched him in terror.

  Hjalmer: "Shhhh, it's time for you to return to your sweet home, Rusty Iron."

  The sadist strangles her so much that her face turns a pale color after some seconds.

  Aeris: "Y-You... I'm going... To kill you... Imbecile-"

  Hjalmer: “We’ll see.”

  Hjalmer breaks Aeris' neck. After waking up from her sleep, she hits the air instinctively. The unexpected dream caused her heart to pump at 160 beats per minute.

  Aeris: "Another nightmare, great."

  She reacts superficially, which indicates that such nightmares are customary.

  She stood up and looked out the window, seeing a thick mist that appeared in the neighborhood.

  Aeris: “Why the hell is this thick mist the same as in my nightmare…? Eh, might just be casual.”

  Her thoughts declined the message the mist was giving to her. Aeris could barely give any response, her eyes were blurry so she couldn’t walk properly. She did her best to get to the door. Her will made her run to the door, making her legs active. The door opens and she encounters Donovan, who is casually going to her room.

  Aeris: “Aghhh, who’s there?”

  Donovan: “Uhh it’s me.”

  Aeris: “Hmwha- Ohh Itsh youhh.. Dono…hvan…”

  Aeris responds with an incomprehensible talk.

  Donovan: “Are you sleepwalking?- Yeah you.. No wait no, never mind I can’t even tell.”

  Aeris: “I.. aem jhust shleepy dude…”

  She can hardly stand and gets lazy of talking.

  Donovan: “Yeah… I see… Lawrence and Eleorona made breakfast so you can go & eat.”

  The silver-blue-haired girl did not respond out of laziness, although she did murmur an 'okay'. She left her room for the bathroom to brush her teeth and wash her face. She went downstairs to eat her breakfast with the others. The food’s smell was so good Aeris had the thought of the food calling her. Her motivation to eat was colossal she rushed to enjoy the taste.

  Lawrence: “Aeris don’t run you’re gonna fall!”

  The Italian warned her with a loud tone of voice that triggered her, to trip over the stairs. Donovan was already active, so he ran to her, as he lifted Aeris to prevent more damage.

  Eleorona: “Not going to lie, both of you look cute together.”

  The silver-blue-haired girl immediately climbs out of Donovan's arms to ignore her comment and eat, pretending that nothing happened.

  Donovan in his mind: "Now I realize that a few seconds ago my heart was beating calmly, then, when I picked up Aeris it started to accelerate...What’s going on?"

  Aeris eats her breakfast quickly as if she is in a hurry to do something.

  Eleorona: "Aeris, are you in a rush?"

  Aeris listens, stopping eating to respond.

  Aeris: "No? I eat the food I like quickly, haha..."

  Aeris in her mind: “At this point, I’m just going to avoid Donovan from carrying me… It’s so… corny.”

  Eleorona had planned to follow her curiosity but she dismissed it.

  Eleorona: "Anyway, what will we do today?"

  Donovan: "I don't know, I’ll keep training”

  Eleorona: "Then I'll go with you."

  Donovan: "Okay."

  The teenager with golden eyes sits down to eat just like Eleorona.

  Lawrence in his mind: "I feel like something has to be solved..."

  He stops washing the dishes, takes off his apron, and starts chatting.

  Lawrence: "Isn't there something we had to do?"

  Eleorona looks at Donovan, signaling him to respond.

  Donovan: "We came to Italy to investigate what Hjalmer is up to, I even promised Aeris to help her with the economy."

  Lawrence: "Investigate? And does Aeris know what that mafia is about?"

  Aeris continues to eat, not paying attention to them because of the great luxury Lawrence gave himself when preparing the food. The 3 of them look at Aeris, waiting for an answer, but it goes on and on in their world.

  Eleorona: "Aeris."

  The deep and dark voice alarmed her.

  Aeris reacts once again. The others worry about how unnoticed Aeris is so far.

  Eleorona: "Hey, do you feel good? You haven't been paying attention to what we say. Tell us."

  Aeris: "A nightmare... It was just that."

  Lawrence sat down in the remaining chair to help Aeris vent.

  Lawrence: "Specify."

  Aeris: "Well... I woke up in a room full of blue stripes, with a thick darkness that approached the door and from there, my boss appeared... His ears were bleeding as was his nose...

  Lawrence: "Tell me more, please."

  Aeris: "I was alarmed that I was over and over again trying to activate my jégosgalia, luckily it activated, and I threw some tridents at him but for some reason, it went through them. He told me something about me having to go home... He named me Rusty Iron... I don't know why... Anyways, after that he strangled me, I heard a crack... And from there I woke up.”

  Lawrence: "How long have you been working with Hjalmer?"

  Aeris: "1 year."

  Lawrence: "Did you tell him about something?"

  Aeris: "I swore I was going to kill him."

  Lawrence: "And he answered you back?"

  Aeris: "Yes..."

  Lawrence takes a deep breath and gets up from his chair.

  Lawrence: "Then something will happen with Aeris."

  Donovan: "What are you talking about?"

  Lawrence: "It is clear that dreams have no meaning for a certain part, however, if you can talk to someone in a dream, then something will happen.

  Eleorona: "Stop joking with the kids, Lawrence."

  Lawrence: “Having a Dvasinis Nexus does come with drawbacks. If you’re dreaming, there might be a possibility you experience what happened in that dream, in other words, it works like a Déjà vu, but worser, or better.”

  Aeris: “What’s exactly going to happen to me?”

  She asks with a curious tone.

  Lawrence: “We can’t measure that specifically, but it’s something related to you and your boss.”

  Donovan: “And sorry for interrupting, but Lawrence asked you something, Aeris.”

  Aeris: “What was the question?”

  Aeris gulped, thinking it was a personal question.

  Lawrence: “Do you know what is this mafia about?”

  Aeris: “Honestly… I don’t know, I just know that they sell drugs and weapons, plus, I am a bodyguard, my job is only to ensure that no one outside the mafia gets close to my superior…”

  She says, as she slowly lowers her tone in discomfort.

  Donovan: “There’s your answer, Lawrence.“

  Lawrence: “And, Donovan, you said you’re going to investigate what’s Hjalmer’s mafia about, am I right?“

  Donovan: “Of course.“

  Eleorona: “Well, you guys can talk, but eat your breakfast.“

  Aeris and Donovan continued eating their breakfast to get ready.

  Lawrence: “If you’re going to do that, then you must know how you’re going to investigate his mafia, because some mafias are so secret, even the government barely knows.

  Donovan: “What about Hjalmer’s mafia?”

  Lawrence: (Laughs while scratching his head) “Well, I don’t know! Hahaha! That’s why you’re investigating, right Donovan?”

  Eleorona sighed, closing her eyes and shaking her head slightly with disappointed behavior.

  Donovan: (Calmly) “Why don’t you know?”

  Lawrence: “To begin with, how old is your best friend?”

  Donovan: “You won’t believe me, but he’s 17 years old.”

  Lawrence: (Raises his voice in surprise) "17 YEARS?! No, no, no, let's see, like 17 years? How is it that someone so young can organize a MAFIA?"

  Donovan: (Shrugging his shoulders) "The same thing I wonder, most likely he did it with help.”

  Aeris: “In fact, he did, by forcing ex-mafia leaders.”

  Eleorona: “How?”

  Aeris: “His jégosgalia.”

  Donovan: “God damn just thinking about him makes me wanna crush his face.”

  Donovan frustrated slams the table.

  Lawrence: “Calm down. Save that anger and release it when we can encounter him again.”

  Aeris: “I got a question… Are you going to eat that?”

  Donovan: “Hm? Nah, I’m not hungry-”

  Aeris aggressively grabs his plate, impressing Donovan and Lawrence.

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  Donovan: "Were you so hungry? You're a glutton..."

  Aeris: "Mhmf Shshut up!"

  She responds as she eats with a hunger that sweeps away everything. Eleorona does not react, as she has seen Aeris behave like this when she’s hungry.

  Eleorona: "Now that I wonder, why does Hjalmer have a mafia?"

  Aeris chews quickly so she can respond, signaling to wait for her. After chewing and swallowing Lawrence's delicious 5-star food, she explains.

  Aeris: "The only thing I know is that my superior wants to achieve his first goal, and that is to have enough influence for his other goals..."

  Donovan in his mind: "No wonder he asked me if I felt like I had to do something in this world..."

  Donovan gets up from his seat and puts on his blue jacket.

  Lawrence: "Where are you going?"

  Donovan: "Where else?”

  Eleorona: “You’re going to beat Hjalmer’s ass again?”

  Donovan: “I wish, but my priority is to avoid Hjalmer from affecting the world negatively.”

  Aeris: “And how you are you gonna do that, hm?”

  Donovan: “I have my ways, don’t worry.”

  Donovan leaves the house without saying anything, just acting as the serious guy he is. Golden particles coiled through Donovan’s leg, making him leap to begin his mission and prevent Hjalmer’s destruction.

  Eleorona: “Not even a goodbye… How typical of him.”

  Aeris: “He’s always like that?”

  Eleorona: “Hmmm, kinda?”

  Lawrence: “Should we worry about him?”

  Eleorona in her mind: “Donovan is reckless sometimes without taking into account the drawback. What should I do?”

  Eleorona: “I… I don’t know.”

  While in the other side, we got the ex-best friend of the protagonist, waking up as he grabbed his hair tightly, grunting from all the pain he received in the fight.

  Hjalmer: “Gah… What…”

  Hjalmer woke up looking at the destroyed building that took him all his efforts to construct. Reacting aggressively.

  Slow and loud steps could be heard from the hallway which had a unique rhythm. Hjalmer got up, recognizing these footsteps but unsure if it was him. The footsteps could be heard nearby. The mafia boss activated his jégosgalia and prepared an offensive attack. ‘Clunk, clunk’. Hjalmer charged up his fingers in a chopping hand position to finish the person in an instant but realizing it was his assistant, he cancelled his strike.

  Hjalmer: “Josh, what are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be traveling to Croatia?”

  Josh: “Indeed sir, but Officer 12 sent me a message through the dvasinis nexus about what was going on.”

  Hjalmer: “Meaning?”

  Josh: “Your old friend… Donovan Ivanel, is here, right?”

  Hjalmer: “Correct.”

  Josh: “What about that insignificant blue-haired girl?”

  Hjalmer laughs as he touches his assistant’s shoulder.

  Hjalmer: “Hahaha, you know, I always had the feeling she would give up on this torturing job. She’s too sensitive.”

  Josh: “Is she worth it, sir?”

  Hjalmer sighs and walks to the hallway

  Hjalmer: “I wouldn’t say she’s worth it or not worth it… But she gave me a big obstacle to get through.”

  Josh: “You mean… Donovan Ivanel.”

  Hjalmer: (Smirking) “Exactly… I must buy time to get some things done. Plus, he’s with his bullshit of wanting to ‘help me’ and blah blah blah.”

  Josh: “He does not understand, does he?”

  Hjalmer: “Him? Oh please, that’s why he is getting in my way.”

  The boss does some stretching exercises in his place to start his day.

  Josh: “Sir Drameus, where are you going?”

  Hjalmer: “I'm going to the other base; do you want to come? I plan to relax a little... Besides, you deserve some rest too."

  Josh gives a gentle smile towards his boss's offer, accepting it.

  Josh: "Sure, sir."

  Hjalmer: “What about Ko?”

  Josh: “He’s already in the base being healed.”

  Hjalmer: “Good, he’s important to us…”

  Hjalmer: "Oh, by the way, you got here in your car?"

  Josh: "Of course, I'll take you to the other base."

  Hjalmer: "Thank you, Josh."

  The two leave the base in its destroyed state as if it were just another piece of junk. Switching places, As usual, Donovan is a person who does things alone without distractions to achieve his goal. The boy, in addition to having the investigation of Delta (Hjalmer’s Mafia) as a priority, however, decides to enrich his brain with a culture different from his native country.

  Donovan entered the famous shopping mall Porta di Roma, inhaling the soothing air to start the day peacefully. He looked at the many stores he could begin with, but, he could not decide what to do, so he visited a sports store for brand-new sneakers. 20 minutes later, Donovan bought the sneakers waving gently to the cashier, and left the store. Being his first time visiting a luxurious shopping mall, he thought of spending all his money on the many things he wished to have a long time ago. Since Donovan is in Italy, he can taste the many different existing dishes of this popular culture.

  After some minutes of wandering around the mall, the hypnotic smell coming from a popular restaurant caught his attention. When he entered, Donovan appreciated the minimalist-designed restaurant with touches of Italian culture that would feature clean, simple lines and a color palette. Just as soon as the many dishes, the aroma amplified, which is not strange for the Croatian teenager, he gets excited when tasting a new dish. He quickly sat down to take his order.

  After 16 minutes, he got his dish on his table. As he couldn’t wait any longer to give the first bite, he was shocked by the stunning view he had. His dish was cheesy baked meatballs, a simple but fascinating dish to enjoy. A delicious meal relieved the teenager for a moment until he got a call from her sister. Donovan accepted the call, forgetting how Eleorona gets when she’s not invited to eat something.

  Eleorona??: “Donovan, how’s the mission going?”

  Donovan: (Mumbling with a full mouth) “Mmph… fine… I haven’t started yet. Just doin’ something…

  Eleorona??: (Suspicious) “Wait… Why does it sound like you’re eating… What are you eating?”

  Donovan: (Swallowing quickly) “Uhhh, cheesy baked meatballs.”

  Eleorona??: (Grumbling) “Donovan. We were supposed to taste some dishes with Aeris and Lawrence… Just never mind, enjoy your food and please investigate, don’t go wander in the mall like the last time.”

  Donovan: (Smiling slightly) “Don’t worry, believe in your trustful brother.”

  Eleorona hangs up the call in frustration, while Donovan shakes his head slightly and grins, he places his phone on the table to continue enjoying his dish. The teenager with golden eyes enjoyed it a lot he gave a €9 tip, wearing his jacket, tucked his phone into his pocket, and left gratefully for the next phase: Hjalmer’s mafia investigation.

  Everything seemed to be okay for Donovan, a calm ambient with a lot of stores from different categories to spend the whole day but… When he was about to leave the shopping mall, he could sense a malicious presence observing him with full attention. Donovan’s step slowed as he neared the shopping mall exit. He paused, just leaving the sounds of people laughing and talking in the background, focusing on one single point. The man observing him thought about activating his jégosgalia, but unsure of what was the next move, he remained silent.

  Hitman: “Why did he stop moving?”

  After some seconds, he resumed walking towards the exit, while the glass doors opened. The moment he leaves the fresh air, a different sound joins the shopping mall, sharp knives slicing through the air toward the hitman, barely giving him time to react. Eventually, he dodged the three knives and then got inside the wall.

  Hitman: “What the hell?! The boss didn’t mention he could summon knives?! Tsk, I must take a good look at him!”

  The hitman walks to a bathroom nearby and changes his clothes to disguise himself. His steps increased speed like he was in a hurry. Donovan ran to a narrow alleyway behind the shopping mall which gave him an excellent cover. He analyzed his surroundings making sure no one watched him. Since the alley was disordered by boxes of different sizes, Donovan crouched between the boxes, taking a deep breath, focusing on his jégosgalia’s activation.

  Donovan: “God’s Rend.”

  Golden particles coil around his body, enhancing the leg’s muscle fibbers with a tremendous, stored power to be released. Donovan leaps, leaving the boxes way more disordered than they were. These particles traced his path, leaving a glimmering trail behind him. Donovan’s muscles made him travel fast, hovering and jumping from rooftop to rooftop successfully getting to his destination, the golden particles continued to swirl around his strong legs, indicating that his jégosgalia was still active. He knocked on the door and raised his voice.

  Donovan: “It’s me, Donovan!”

  Lawrence: (Opening the door) “Welcome back dude, weren’t you investigating?”

  Donovan: “I’m about to start the mission but I need these beautiful sneakers in my room, right now.”

  Taking the first step forward, Donovan forgets how enhanced his legs were. Launching into the air with no effort, leaving a small crack on the ceiling. Lawrence shook his head in disappointment as Donovan awkwardly landed on the ground. The sound made Eleorona and Aeris leave the rooms and hurry in to see Donovan on the floor while the golden flecks swirled around his legs.

  Eleorona: (Pointing out his legs) “Uh, Donovan, you forgot to disable your jégosgalia when coming back…”

  Donovan: “Huh? Oh, shoot, right! Right… I thought it turned off by itself like last year…”

  Stretching his hand out, Donovan focused on the damaged root, which began to repair itself in some seconds. The golden particles vanished slowly as he stood, heading to his room to place his sneakers next to his bed. He called back the others, “I’ll see you guys later!”

  As he left the house through his opened window, those golden particles came back to follow Donovan’s trail, his investigations on Hjalmer’s mafia. As a habit, Donovan rested for a few minutes every time he moved to another place, usually going to the high points of a city or place to appreciate his surroundings, although there was also a doubt hovering.

  Donovan: "Like... How am I going to collect information from the Delta mafia?"

  He went blank, looking at a fixed point in the city.

  Donovan: "Let's see... At least the technology exists... That makes it much easier for me to collect the information."

  About to activate his jégosgalia again, another doubt appeared.

  Donovan: "Is the guy who was watching me still looking for me? And why was he watching me in the first place, why right now?"

  An intense silence took its place, while the noises of the city also appeared.

  Donovan: "Is it perhaps... Another of Hjalmer’s hitmen? Well, even if so, he should have investigated no matter what. I'm not sure what Hjalmer will do, I feel like he'll do something terrible and that's why I have to prevent it.”

  He takes a deep breath, activating his phone’s location to map out the nearest police station and head there. Instead of leaping from the roof to the nearest police station, Donovan decides to walk like another casual person to not draw out attention because of his jégosgalia. Arriving at his destiny, he approaches the front desk, introducing himself as a journalist who’s gathering background information on mafia activity in Rome. Some officer named Hugo was polite to attend Donovan.

  Officer Hugo: “Welcome, Journalist, is there any question related to the mafias?”

  Donovan: “I’d like to know how mafias work in this country…”

  Officer Hugo: “Do you need details or a simplified answer?”

  Donovan: “Simplified answer.”

  Officer Hugo: “There are mafias who are recognized publicly and ones that barely appear.

  Donovan: “Why?”

  Officer Hugo: “Well, mister, all that I know is that mafias take advantage of technology to cover all their information.”

  Donovan: “And what if some mafias didn’t know how to do that?”

  Officer Hugo: “Probably silence anyone who intends to reveal the mafia.”

  Donovan: “That makes sense… Thank you.”

  Officer Hugo: “Take care.”

  Both wave each other, and the journalist heads back into the streets.

  Donovan: “Leaving no paper trails or witnesses… Maybe Delta does the same thing, but why?”

  Leaving Donovan with his doubts about how to find Delta’s information, we go back to Hjalmer’s scenario.

  In a wide-open training room, A black-haired boy with wounds and piercings gasps as he wipes sweat from his face with his arm.

  Twelve: "Boss... Ah... Why am I training in the first place?"

  Hjalmer stares at him, closing his eyes and exhaling gently.

  Hjalmer: "An old friend came to get into my goals..."

  Twelve in his mind: "An old friend? The boss mentioned having a friend... Oh, what was it like? Donovan? No... Donovan, yes, Donovan..."

  Twelve: "By any chance you don't mean Donovan? The guy who beat you more than 8 times?"

  Hjalmer: "Yes- How...? WHO TOLD YOU THAT? I WAS THE ONE WHO BEAT HIM OFTEN!!"

  Hjalmer is annoyed by the comment that hits a sidekick without warning. Twelve blocks the kick using his jégosgalia, creating a small area compressed by the pressure caused.

  Hjalmer: (Smiling) "Perfect, you've mastered it."

  Twelve: "Really?! Then I can rest?"

  Hjalmer: (Sigh) "Well, okay, only 5 minutes."

  Twelve grabs his thermos and drinks water. Hjalmer goes to the center of the training room to try out a new attack.

  Twelve: "Boss, one question."

  Hjalmer: "What do you want?"

  Twelve: "Am I training to stop your old friend?"

  Hjalmer: "Well, yes..."

  Twelve: "Is he so strong?"

  Hjalmer: "Find out the answer for yourself."

  Hjalmer takes off his coat, tossing it aside to unleash his ferocious jégosgalia, Forcewave Rift.

  In the spacious training room, Hjalmer stands shirtless, preparing his stance. He closes his eyes, takes a sharp breath, and dashes forward in a blur. His jégosgalia, Forcewave Rift, activates, amplifying his kinetic energy as he launches a straight punch at the wall. With the impact, the thick wall cracks under the colossal 80,000-kilogram force threshold.

  Hjalmer gazes at his clenched fist, the memory of his last fight with Donovan flickering in his mind. Frustration ignites, and he slams his fist again, hard enough to shake the room’s reinforced structure. “I should’ve finished him off in one move,” he mutters, the thought gnawing at him.

  Just then, the ring of a phone cuts through the silence.

  Twelve: “Boss, someone’s calling you.”

  Hjalmer, instantly shifting with his jégosgalia, appears beside the desk, gripping the phone with irritation barely masked.

  Hjalmer: “What’s up?”

  Ko??: “Boss, my sincerest apologies… I lost the target.”

  Hjalmer: “How did you lose Donovan?”

  Ko??: “He stopped for a second and left the shopping mall, after I searched from the outside, he was already gone!”

  Hjalmer: “Ugh… He’s like a fly, one slight movement and already gone. Listen carefully, Donovan improves his agility using his jégosgalia.”

  Ko??: “What?! He can also do that?”

  Hjalmer: “Why are you asking?”

  Ko??: “That kid threw me three knives, I'm glad I dodged them.”

  Hjalmer: (Sigh) “Don’t get your eyes off of him.”

  Ko??: “Understood.”

  The phone call ends. Hjalmer shouts Twelve's name, but there is no answer. He looks at his side, then fully turns his body, facing the training room and seeing no one.

  Hjalmer: (Angry tone) “Tsk, again with this cheap trick… TWELVE COME HERE BEFORE YOU BECOME HOMELESS!”

  Twelve slowly walk to the training room after being called out, resuming their training. Hjalmer got distracted by his thoughts about Donovan’s interference, knowing he was a threat to his well-structured plans.

  Hjalmer in his mind: “This situation is concerning me… Tsk, I’ll continue with Twelve’s training.”

  Shifting scenes, Donovan leaped from building to building using God’s Rend, his body telegraphed alongside the golden trail. He repeated the information Officer Hugo mentioned to him; Mafias muting people for not revealing essential information. After a deadlock, he changed strategies: Questioning anyone he crossed, which seemed an absurd method but could probably work if he tried it out. He jumped in between the buildings to a back alley and arrived, deactivating God’s Rend as the golden particles vanished. Donovan looked at the sky as he covered his forehead, appreciating the gaze. Going back to the mission, he walked to the streets as he encountered an older man in his late 50s. Donovan approached with a calm but tense appearance.

  Donovan: “Do you know about Delta?”

  The man blinked twice and shook his head.

  Mr. Lorenzo: (acting frightened) “N-No, I don’t”

  Donovan sensed the answer wasn’t truthful, trying once again by grabbing the front of the man’s coat and lifting him.

  Donovan: (Sinister tone) “Where is Delta located?”

  The man lifted his hands claiming his innocence.

  Mr. Lorenzo: “Y-young man, please! I still want to enjoy what’s left of my life!”

  Donovan: (Demanding) “Then tell me.”

  Sweat appeared on his neck and face, stuttering

  Mr.Lorenzo: “D-Delta? There are plenty of places with that name-”

  Donovan: “The mafia, Delta.”

  The man’s face slightly squirmed in disgust.

  Mr. Lorenzo: “Don’t mention that word again. Mafias have destroyed lives… They took my brother when I turned thirty. That massacre haunted me for years and I’ve tried to avoid it since then.”

  For a brief moment, Donovan’s expression softened, inclining his head considering the shared harshness.

  Donovan: (Lowered tone) “The only friend I had unexpectedly shifted into something worse I could never imagine. He’s now a mafia boss and my goal is to stop him at all costs.”

  Mr.Lorenzo: (Softening his expression) “What’s his name?”

  A simple question that can be a deadly one. The protagonist had to think of a fast reply.

  Donovan in his mind: "Shit, What should I say? Who knows if he's telling the truth, and why would he ask his name in the first place? Besides being a question to compliment or talk about the uniqueness of a name, I can't trust anybody!"

  Within those thoughts, 5 seconds passed by. The man tilted his head slightly to the right.

  Mr. Lorenzo: “Young man?”

  Donovan replied after a tense pause.

  Donovan: “Hugo.”

  Donovan in his mind: "I'm glad the officer told me his name, there's a bunch of people named Hugo, but Hjalmer? Pfft, not in Italy, I guess.”

  Mr. Lorenzo: (Nodding to the sides) “I don’t know this ‘Hugo’ you’re talking about, but you’ve got spirit in you, kiddo. Good luck finding that mafia.”

  Donovan: (Smiling) “Thanks, sir. Stay safe”

  As Donovan turned and walked away, the older man watched his departure, a smirk appeared on his wrinkled face taking out his smartphone.

  Mr. Lorenzo: “Heh, what are they feeding kids these days?”

  The man went to the contacts app, tapping a labelled contact as MAFIA BOSS HJALMER DRAMEUS

  Mr. Lorenzo: “Boss, we found Donovan Ivanel.”

  Chapter 3 ends...