Enzo's finger squeezed the trigger, the sound of the gunshot ripping through the air. The bullet struck Darius in the forehead, but instead of falling, the brute stumbled only slightly, the round grazing across his skull. Blood ran down his face, but his grin returned, twisted and cruel.
"You think the Devil keeps weak men at his side?" Darius roared, his fists tightening. He lunged forward, smashing through the debris with unstoppable force. Enzo barely dove aside, his chest heaving with fear and fury.
Selene hurled another blade, but Darius swatted it away like an insect. She cursed under her breath, grabbing Enzo by the arm. "We are leaving. Now."
They sprinted toward the back of the club, but the heavy doors slammed shut before they could reach them. From the shadows, a slow, deliberate clap echoed. A voice colder than ice filled the hall. "Leaving so soon? But the show has only begun."
Lucius stepped into the firelight, his crimson eyes glowing, his smile stretching wide enough to chill their blood. His presence filled the room, suffocating and absolute. Men who had survived battles trembled at his name, but now Enzo felt that fear seep into his bones.
"Lucius," Selene whispered, her bravado shattering. For the first time, her face betrayed something close to fear.
Lucius tilted his head, his laughter soft and cruel. "Selene, my precious viper. Did you think I would not notice your little game? Did you think you could pluck a boy from the ashes and turn him against me? How disappointing."
Enzo stepped forward, rage consuming him. "You murdered my family. You slaughtered them like dogs. Tonight, I will make you pay."
Lucius's laughter grew louder, shaking the walls. "Your family? Ah, boy, your mind is blind with lies. Did Selene never tell you the truth? Your beloved uncle Matteo betrayed me first. He sold secrets to my enemies. He thought to use me as his shield. When I cut him down, I showed mercy by ending his treachery swiftly."
Enzo's heart froze. He looked at Selene, his eyes wide. "Tell me he lies."
Selene's lips parted, but no words came. Her silence was louder than any confession.
Lucius's grin widened. "She never told you because she needed your hatred. You were her weapon, her pawn. And now you see the truth. Your uncle was no hero. He was a traitor. The blood you shed tonight was for nothing."
Enzo's grip on his pistol faltered. His chest heaved as the world shattered around him. Rage twisted into confusion, and confusion into despair. He had killed, he had bled, he had burned with vengeance, and it had all been built on a lie.
Darius stepped forward, his voice rumbling. "Boss, allow me to finish them. The boy is weak, the woman is broken."
But Lucius lifted a hand, his eyes locked on Enzo. "No, Darius. The boy is no longer my enemy. He is mine now. The blood in him is not wasted. It will be forged anew."
Enzo fell to his knees, his body trembling. His hatred for Lucius clashed with the weight of truth, leaving him hollow. And yet, when Lucius placed a hand on his shoulder, a strange calm spread through him. It was the calm of power, of belonging.
Selene's face twisted in horror. "Enzo, no! He killed your family!"
Lucius's voice cut through her cries. "No. He killed those who betrayed him. And now, boy, you have a choice. Follow the lies of a snake, or walk in the shadow of the Devil."
Enzo lifted his head, his eyes no longer filled with blind rage but with grim acceptance. His voice cracked, but it carried weight. "I will walk with you."
Darius's grin widened as he stepped behind Enzo, placing a heavy hand on his shoulder. "Good choice, pup. From now on, you will learn under me. I will break you, I will shape you, and one day, you will be more than even your uncle dreamed of being."
Selene staggered back, her hands trembling. For the first time, regret poisoned her heart. She had betrayed Lucius once, and now her chosen pawn had been claimed by him instead.
Lucius turned to her, his laughter dark and merciless. "And you, Selene, will be punished. Your loyalty is broken, but your usefulness is not yet gone. You will serve under Veyra now. She enjoys broken toys."
From the far corner of the hall, Ravenna Veyra stepped forward, her eyes gleaming with madness, her smile stretching ear to ear. She licked the blade of her knife slowly, her voice a singsong whisper. "Oh, how fun. A viper that must crawl on her belly. I will make you scream until loyalty is the only sound left in your throat."
Selene's face went pale as Ravenna Veyra approached, the promise of torment radiating from her every step. Enzo looked away, his heart heavy but his choice already made. He was no longer Selene's pawn. He was the Devil's weapon.
Lucius's laughter filled the ruined club, echoing through the night like the roar of hell itself. "Tonight, the boy is mine. Tonight, the Devil gains another faithful soul."