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“Unite the heart now or remain divided as you wish. Together, you rule. Separate, you fall. The choice is yours, my children.”
“But, dear Mars,” Rafaele asks, his eyes wide with reverence. What prophecy do you speak of? What power is it that The Heart of Italy shall sprout forth?”
“If I were to answer all your burning questions, son, then what life would you lead? There are some answers you must seek yourself.”
The air around us crackles one last time, and just like that, the cave once again becomes cold enough. The ethereal realm and God Mars dissipate around us, and we find ourselves back in real time. I no longer feel as vividly alive as I did just moments ago. I no longer dream, and yet, that doesn’t feel like a dream.
Rafaele and I exchange glances.
“Did that just—” I ask, clenching my hands away from Fiero and Rafaele, the two halves of the Heart of Italy, in each of my palms.
“Yes,” they whisper in unison.
Chapter 50
Rafaele
I stand beside Fiero, my once sworn enemy now revealed to be a brother in blood. The knowledge of our shared lineage, descendants of the God Mars himself, hangs like a dream in the air between us. I can't help but question its truthfulness; it's all too strange, too impossible to comprehend.
"Could it be?" Fiero asks, his emerald green eyes reflecting both doubt and curiosity. "Mars, the God of war, as our ancestor?"
As if on cue, a shiver runs down my spine, reminding me that everyone present witnessed Mars's appearance. This isn't some fever dream within a dream or a hallucination. It's real, and the weight of the truth presses down on me like a ton of bricks.
I sigh and rub my temples. Romola stands to the side now, with both diamonds in her hands, waiting for us to take the next step. I think back to my life and the hollowness of it all. I was chasing all this glory—for what? Even while I did, I often wondered what the end goal would be.
Perhaps it was all meant to come down to this one moment.
"Believe it or not," I reply at last, "It seems we're bound by more than just the mafia now, eh? Blood is thicker than water, after all."
Fiero smirks, rubbing the scar on his forehead absentmindedly. "And yet, we've been enemies for so long. It doesn't change overnight, I suppose."
"True," I concede, thinking about the countless confrontations we've had over the years."But perhaps it was all meant to be, all along, to bring us together after we’ve tried things our own way and repeatedly failed."
Fiero says nothing, but his mouth cracks into a gentle smile.
“So, what are you to do next?” Romola asks, stepping between us now and building room for negotiation.
I look into Fiero’s eyes, this brother of mine with slightly emerald green eyes. Fiero and I exchange a glance, silently acknowledging the trust we're placing in her.
Despite our history as enemies, it seems that fate has brought us together for a purpose bigger than ourselves – to fulfill Rome's destiny, which is what our forefathers have sought to unravel for generations.
"Perhaps," I suggest, praying Fiero takes the white flag. "If we are truly brothers in blood, then maybe it's time for us to act like it."
"Indeed," Fiero nods, and for the first time, I see something akin to acceptance in his expression.
A prayer enters my thoughts. I hope our ancestors are watching over us at this very moment as we broker peace at last.
"Thank you," Romola whispers, her voice soft yet firm as she understands the gravity of our words. "I won't let you down."
As Romola looks down at the diamonds in her hands, I watch her closely, noticing the way her fingers tremble slightly under the weight of their significance.
She holds them up to the light, the flickering reflections dancing across their surfaces, casting a kaleidoscope of colors onto the cave walls.
With precision, she aligns the edges of the two diamonds and gently presses them together. The cave seems to hold its breath as the diamonds fuse, forming the Heart of Italy – the most exquisite gemstone in the world.
Fiero and I crowd around her, looking up at the diamond.
"Look at it," Romola breathes, her eyes wide with awe. "It's magnificent."
