6. A Brother's Burden

I always knew my brother was strict.

Fierce, ruthless, almost obsessively protective. Especially since Cain was gone. But lately, Dante's concern for my safety felt more stifling than ever. It was like a dog collar. Choking on whatever scrap of freedom I had left.

"Stay home, Luca." It's the same tiring command every day. "It's not safe out there." He made it clear to the guards: "Don’t let Luca leave the house. And if he does, keep the security tight." He barely let me out of his sight. I was constantly watched, like some fragile thing he thought would shatter at the slightest breeze. He still treated me like a kid, even though I was nineteen now.

But even I could see what his endless protectiveness was hiding. He didn’t just want to keep me safe—he was afraid.

Ever since Cain's death, Dante had changed. He wasn't just my overprotective older brother anymore. He became a force solely driven by revenge. Working day and night to track down whoever had taken Cain away from us. The phone calls, untimely meetings, the change in his voice every time he mentioned Cain...

I thought I understood. I thought I knew what was driving him. But something had shifted recently.

The calls had stopped. His conversations about finding Cain’s killer had gone silent. And he’d become...frustrated. More than usual. Like there was something he was struggling to control. I overheard him muttering to himself once, "Not a single word yet." His voice had been thick with rage and something else. Bitterness, maybe. As if he'd found what he was looking for but couldn't break it down.

And then there was the basement.

I noticed he'd been going down to the basement more often. I’d always known what Dante used that space for. The dark secrets that lurked in that damp, concrete prison. But this was different. He went there every day now, like it was some new obsession.

I wasn't supposed to follow him, of course. Dante would have my head if he knew I was anywhere near the basement. But I couldn't help myself anymore. The questions wouldn't stop nagging at me. Like an itch I couldn't reach. A pull I didn't want to fight.

Because this wasn’t Dante. Not the brother I grew up with.

The brother I remembered was strict, yeah, but he was also the one who taught me how to throw a punch. Who made me hot chocolate when I was sick. Who shared my bed when the nightmares kept me awake. Back when we were younger. Back when he actually smiled. He used to tease me, used to laugh. That Dante wasn’t so...cold.

I don’t know when exactly he disappeared. Maybe the day they buried Cain.

Or maybe, piece by piece, he’d been slipping away for a long time.

Either way, the man going into that basement every night? He wasn’t my brother.

And tonight, I'll be knowing why.

So I waited until my guards got distracted. Then I made my move. I slipped down the dimly lit stairwell, heart pounding the whole time with the thrill of finally getting some kind of answers.

I had to hug the walls and try blending into the shadows to take the last flight of stairs. I finally reached the basement door and was about to open it when... Dante stormed out. He was steaming with anger. I'd never seen him this furious before.

I froze. Scared to breathe, let alone move.

But he didn’t notice me. Didn’t even glance my way. He was too lost in whatever fury burned inside him to see me standing off to the side.

When his footsteps finally faded, I turned toward the open door, light spilling out in a weak, sickly glow.

I took a deep breath.

This was my chance.

I forced down my gut feeling and stepped inside.

It was hard to see anything in the dim light. My heart was not making it any easier, pounding with both fear and curiosity. The room was suffocating with stale air. And there was the thick metallic scent of.. well. I guess it was a bad idea to eat right before this.

I took a step forward with caution. Then another.

Near the far wall, something—no. Someone was crumpled on the floor. Barely moving, just a faint outline.

My stomach twisted.

Every instinct told me to turn back.

But I couldn’t.

Not until I knew what Dante was hiding down here.