4. Alex

We entered the bar, my footsteps echoing on the polished floor, marking the rhythm of a night that promised to be more complicated than I imagined. The gloom of the place mingled with laughter and lively conversation, creating an atmosphere where stories intertwined and faded.

Daniel and I sought a secluded corner, as if trying to escape the outside turmoil and immerse ourselves in our own reflections. We chose a table where the dim light allowed us to barely see our shadows dancing on the worn wood.

Sitting down, the reality of my return to Rocacielo began to weigh on my shoulders. Daniel, sensing my silence, broke the thread of thoughts that enveloped me.

"Everything okay, Alex? I know it's been an intense day."

I nodded, looking at the worn surface of the table as if searching for answers in the wood grain.

  "Just have to enjoy it, for the nights we weren't together."

Daniel rested his hand on my shoulder complicitly.

  "You'll stay for now."

I smiled wistfully, remembering the nights I used to teach him little magic tricks.

  "Of course I will, Daniel."

Just then, my eyes fell on a young man at the bar, his enigmatic figure standing out in the semi-darkness of the place. A handsome young man, maybe in his mid-twenties, black-haired, stocky-bodied, our gazes met and I knew there was more than just curiosity. 

The gloom of the bar enveloped our conversations and laughter, but my eyes couldn't help but be drawn to the mysterious young man at the bar. With each visual encounter, we felt as if we shared a silent language, a palpable connection that went beyond words. His eyes, deep and enigmatic, seemed like windows into a story not yet told.

Despite the animated chatter with Daniel, the presence of the stranger lingered in my mind. My brother's every word was interrupted by my furtive glances toward the bar, as if my attention was divided between two worlds. The enigma surrounding the young stranger acted like a magnet, drawing my curiosity in a way I could not ignore.

"Alex, are you sure you're okay?" asked Daniel, noticing my distraction.

I tried to hide my thoughts behind a smile.

"Yes, yes, I was just wandering in my own thoughts. Tell me more about your plans for singles night. I need a break from my musings."

Daniel continued to share his exciting plans, but my mind kept returning to the enigmatic figure at the bar. Every furtive glance became an attempt to decipher the enigma behind those intense eyes. The night progressed, and with each moment, the silent connection with the stranger grew, leaving in the air the promise of an inevitable encounter that could change the course of this melancholic night.

Amidst the laughter and music, a strange sensation came over me. A shiver ran down my spine, as if a current of unsettling energy had infiltrated the atmosphere of the bar. The music, once enveloping and rhythmic, seemed to distort, and the lights flickered irregularly, creating dancing shadows that added a surreal tinge to the place. There was a demonic aura in the bar and my instincts told me it was time to strike.

Intrigued and, at the same time, captivated by a sensation I could not explain, my gaze instinctively shifted to the bar. The silent connection with the enigmatic young man took a dark turn, as if the mysterious aura that surrounded him now expanded, affecting the very environment of the bar.

There was a noise at a distant table and my gaze wandered for a second.

Restless, my eyes searched anxiously for the young man at the bar, but to my bewilderment, I could no longer find him. Like a shadow fading into the night, he had disappeared without a trace. My gazes became more frantic, scanning every corner of the bar for any sign of his enigmatic presence.

"Is something wrong, Alex?" asked Daniel, noticing my change in expression.

I frowned, dealing with the strangeness of the moment.

  "It's nothing, everything's fine."

Daniel looked around with a gesture of confusion.

"You look like you've seen a demon, but relax, no demon would be stupid enough to go near the big Alex Gem."

But the strange sensation persisted, like an echo of the unexplainable. My mind whirled around the fleeting image of the enigmatic young man, wondering if it had been a real encounter or merely a mirage of the night. The melancholy of the evening intensified, leaving me with more questions than answers as the mystery of the bar faded into the shadows of uncertainty.

The evening took an unforeseen turn when Daniel, caught up in the effusiveness of the moment, slipped into a state of inebriation that made him increasingly incoherent. His words became a disjointed whirlwind, and his laughter, once full of mirth, now sounded blurred and disconnected. Watching him, a growing concern came over me. My responsibility as an older brother manifested itself inescapably: I had to get him safely back home.

"Daniel, I think that's enough for today," I said calmly, trying to hide the concern in my voice.

But he, in his state, barely seemed to perceive the gravity of the situation. His laughter continued, interspersed with fragments of incoherent conversation that faded into the air.

Despite the flashing lights and the music still echoing through the bar, determination grew in me. It was time to end the night and take Daniel back to the mansion, where the serenity of the night could help him regain his composure.

Between arms and messy laughter, I managed to pull Daniel to his feet, feeling his weight as we walked toward the exit. My mind, though committed to the immediate task at hand, could not stop wandering to the enigma of the young stranger. Who was he and why did his presence still echo in my mind?

The night, shrouded in mystery and melancholy, faded as we left the bustle of the bar behind. The city, with its shadows and secrets, waited outside, and in my heart lingered the feeling that the enigma of the young stranger had not yet revealed all its cards.

Arriving at the majestic mansion, its doors opened to reveal the worried figure of my father, who had been waiting anxiously. His eyes, reflecting uneasiness, rested on Daniel, whose clumsy steps betrayed a somewhat animated evening.

"What has happened?" he asked in a serious tone, assessing the situation with a keen eye.

"A somewhat lively night," I replied, trying to downplay the situation. "But don't worry, I'll take him to his room."

My father nodded, grateful for my intervention.

  "I'll order everything to be set up so he can rest properly. Thank you for taking care of him, Alex, come with me for a moment."

With Daniel on his way to his room with the help of the staff, I was left alone with my father in the living room of the mansion. The grandeur of the entryway seemed dwarfed by the gravity of what I had to share.

We sank into a moment of calm in the luxurious living room, interrupted only by the rustle of the curtains as they were moved by the evening breeze. I looked at my father, ready to open my heart about the shadows that had obscured my return to Rocacielo.

"Dad, there's something else I need to tell you," I began with determination. "In the city, I have felt something...something dark. Demonic sensations that I can't ignore. Before I left things weren't like this, the city was supposed to be clean."

I caught my breath before we dove into a conversation that would reveal the disturbing experiences I had faced in the dark city we once called home.

"Alex, there's something you need to know," he began, his tone resonating with a gravity that cut through the air. "Strange and dark events have been occurring in Rocacielo for the past few years. There's something we can't quite figure out, it's as if a great wave is preparing to attack us. Daniel knows nothing of this, of course, not at this moment when he is about to get married."

"I'll stay in the city, at least until things calm down."

  "Alex, I'm sorry I didn't tell you about what happened five years ago. If I had known about Ryan, I would have spoiled you."

The heavy silence of the room echoed with the weight of confessions. Candles flickered, casting glints of light and shadow on the intricate moldings of the mansion. The revelation of my father, Chris, left a trace of regret in the air, a shared burden that bound us together in the complicated fabric of secrets and responsibilities. The city, once idyllic, was now revealed as a backdrop of shadows and mysteries that we would have to face together as a family.

I clenched my fists, though I was still heartbroken, I would do everything I could to protect Daniel and my family.