Shadows Resurface

The city of Verdonia stretched out below them, its labyrinth of cobblestone streets and towering spires bathed in the dying light of dusk. From the balcony of their hotel room, Anastasia stood with Maximilian, her hand resting lightly on the railing, trying to calm her racing thoughts. The warmth of the sunset couldn’t chase away the chill that had settled deep within her. Moretti’s death, though pivotal, had not marked the end of their ordeal—it had merely torn open the veil of a much larger, insidious conspiracy.

“Moretti was only the tip of the iceberg,” Maximilian murmured beside her, his arm gently encircling her waist. His gaze was fixed on the horizon, the weight of the city’s dark underbelly pressing down on him. “What we’re seeing... it goes so much deeper. He was just another pawn.”