Shadow bound: The beast within

Chapter 4: Blood and Betrayal

The Romano mansion no longer felt like home. Its walls whispered secrets, its corridors creaked like bones, and its silence weighed heavier than the sound of gunfire. Luca walked through the dim hallway, his footsteps echoing against marble, each step carrying the weight of what he had done.

The shadows still clung to him. No matter how many times he washed his hands, he could still feel the blood, still hear the dying gasp of the man he had killed with the curse. It had not been a choice, it had been instinct. But instinct was dangerous when it came from something he barely understood.

Matteo trailed close behind him. “The men are restless,” the consigliere murmured. “Half of them fear you. The other half fear Emilio. If you don’t claim control soon, the family will split.”

Luca’s jaw tightened. “I didn’t ask for this curse. I didn’t ask to kill with shadows.”

“And yet you did.” Matteo’s voice was sharp, though not cruel. “You cannot run from what you are, Luca. The question is whether you use it to rule, or let it consume you.”

They stopped at the study door. Luca’s hand hovered over the handle when he heard a sound, a soft whisper, like silk sliding across stone. He turned sharply, eyes narrowing, but the hall was empty. Only the flickering lights burned above.

The curse was mocking him. Or perhaps it was warning him.

Inside the study, maps of territories lay scattered across the desk. Red marks indicated threats. The Romano empire, once untouchable, was bleeding from every corner. Emilio had already rallied some allies, whispering poison into their ears about Luca’s bloodline, about the demon within him.

Luca dropped heavily into his father’s leather chair. For the first time, it did not feel like power. It felt like a throne of fire, ready to consume him.

Before he could speak, the door opened and a figure slipped inside. Isabella.

She moved like a ghost, her black dress clinging to her form, her eyes dark as midnight. Luca’s chest tightened. She was the one light left in this endless night. But even her presence carried danger.

“Why are you here?” Luca asked softly.

“Because I saw what happened.” Isabella’s voice trembled, though her gaze never wavered. “You think I didn’t notice? Your eyes… the shadows… You saved yourself, but you scared them all.”

Luca looked away. “Do you fear me too?”

She stepped closer, close enough for him to feel the warmth of her skin. “I fear what you might become. But not you, Luca. Never you.”

Her hand brushed his, and for a moment, the curse inside him fell silent.

But the silence was broken when the study door burst open. A guard staggered in, blood dripping down his arm. “Boss, traitors! In the east wing, Emilio’s men, they were let in!”

Luca shot to his feet, his chair crashing backward. “What do you mean let in?”

The guard coughed, struggling to stay upright. “Someone inside… someone opened the gates for them.”

Matteo cursed under his breath. “Betrayal.”

The sound of gunfire erupted in the distance, sharp and merciless. Shouts followed, men calling for reinforcements, men dying before they could finish their cries.

Luca grabbed a pistol from the desk, his hands steady though his pulse roared in his ears. “Stay with Isabella,” he told Matteo. “If they came for me, they won’t stop until this house burns.”

Isabella grabbed his arm, her eyes desperate. “Luca, don’t lose yourself to it. Don’t let the curse control you.”

He nodded once, but deep down, he knew the truth. The only reason he was still alive was because of the curse. Without it, he might already be dead.

He moved quickly through the corridors, the scent of smoke and blood thick in the air. Bodies already lined the marble floors, some his men, some Emilio’s.

At the corner of the east wing, Luca froze. A group of Emilio’s soldiers had broken through, and standing at the center of them was a man Luca trusted with his life.

Marco.

His childhood friend. His sworn brother.

Marco’s gun dripped fresh blood, his smirk cruel and cold.

Luca’s chest tightened as betrayal stabbed deeper than any blade. “Marco… why?”

Marco’s eyes gleamed with something unreadable. “Because you’re not fit to lead. Emilio offered me a future. You only offer us a curse.”

The words struck harder than the bullets that followed.

Luca dove behind a fallen statue as shots rang out. Marble shattered around him. The curse surged inside, furious, hungry, begging to be unleashed. He could feel the shadows writhing under his skin, aching to devour those who betrayed him.

Marco’s voice echoed in the corridor. “Come out, Luca! You can’t hide from me. You can’t hide from what you are.”

Luca’s breathing quickened. The whisper returned, sharper now. Kill. Kill them all.

His father’s voice warred against it. Blood runs deeper than honor. Never let the curse define you.

But honor meant nothing when his own brother had put a bullet into the family he swore to protect.

The choice burned inside him like fire.

Slowly, Luca rose from behind the statue. His eyes glowed red, brighter than ever, shadows crawling across the walls. The men froze, fear flickering across their faces. Even Marco hesitated for a moment, his smirk faltering.

Luca’s voice was low, dangerous, almost not human anymore. “You chose your side, Marco. Now you’ll see what it costs.”

The shadows exploded outward.

The corridor plunged into chaos. Screams echoed as the darkness consumed everything in its path, swallowing bullets, shattering steel, tearing men apart with invisible claws. Blood painted the marble as the Romano mansion trembled beneath the weight of something far older and darker than the mafia.

When the shadows withdrew, silence fell.

Bodies lay broken across the corridor. Smoke curled from shattered lamps. And in the middle of it all stood Luca, eyes glowing, breath ragged, blood dripping from his hands though he had never touched a blade.

Only one figure still stirred. Marco. Coughing, bleeding, crawling across the floor. His eyes widened in horror as he looked up at Luca.

“You’re not human,” Marco rasped. “You’re a monster.”

Luca’s heart pounded. His chest ached. But his eyes burned red as he stepped closer.

And for the first time, he wasn’t sure if Marco was wrong.

Luca unleashes the curse fully for the first time, slaughtering Emilio’s men, with Marco surviving just long enough to brand him a monster.