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Rafaele raises a finger to his lips. “Shhh,” he appeases, looking around him. He steps closer. “My men, as I mentioned, know nothing of it. Keep your voice low.”
“Give us the truth,” I demand, lowering my voice by an octave.
“You shall find what you seek at the end of this hallway. Beyond that, I can say nothing,” he says and turns on his heels.
Seeing no other way and curious for answers, we follow.
As we continue down the corridor, I find myself drawn to a particular painting – a hauntingly beautiful portrait of a woman whose sorrowful eyes seem to follow me as I pass. It's as if she knows the danger we've willingly placed ourselves in, and her gaze pleads with me to rethink our actions.
"Who is she?" I ask, unable to tear my eyes away from the captivating image.
"Ah, that would be Rhea Silvia," Rafaele replies, pausing to admire the artwork. "She is a tragic figure from ancient Roman mythology. She was seduced by the god Mars and bore him twins Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome. She died imprisoned in her uncle’s tower, having never had the chance to raise her sons."
"Such a sad story," I murmur, feeling an unexpected kinship with a woman of fiction from a different life altogether.
"Indeed," Rafaele agrees. "But it is a story of strength, too – the strength to endure unimaginable adversity and shape the course of history."
Before I can respond, a group of armed men appears from the shadows, their presence both startling and sobering. They move with purpose, checking me and my father for any potential threats with a complete body pat, their eyes never leaving our faces as they confirm our identities.
"Apologies for the intrusion, signorina," one of them murmurs respectfully. "We must ensure the safety of everyone in this room."
"Of course," I reply, grateful that at least one person in this unusual place seems human. "I understand."
As the guards retreat, Rafaele leads us further down the hallway. The echoes of our footsteps seem to come both from in front and from behind us. I keep looking over my shoulder to make sure that it’s just us.
There are no guards here. Just Rafaele, my father and me.
We approach a massive steel door that looks like it belongs in a high-security bank vault. I can't fathom what kind of diamond is truly worth all of this.
"Before we proceed," Rafaele says, his voice firm and authoritative, "we must confirm your identities once more." He gestures to a sleek, futuristic device beside the door. "This scanner will register your fingerprints and eye scans."
"Is...is that really necessary?" I stammer, my heart pounding with a mixture of fear and anticipation. My father squeezes my hand reassuringly, urging me to trust Rafaele and his precautions.
"Security is paramount," Rafaele replies, his dark blue eyes meeting mine with unwavering intensity. "We cannot risk any breaches."
I acquiesce, stepping forward to place my palm on the scanner's glowing surface. A brief flash of light captures my eye scan, and I blink away the lingering spots in my vision. As my father repeats the process, I take a deep breath, bracing myself for whatever lies beyond the steel barrier. I cling to the knowledge that my father and I are in this together.
With a nod from Rafaele, the door slides open to reveal a complex code lock, its screen displaying a dizzying array of symbols.
"Over three million possible combinations protect what’s stored here," he explains, deft fingers tapping out a seemingly random pattern. "The code changes every day, and only a select few are privy to it."
I swallow hard, feeling that my father and I have ventured into a world far removed from our own. But there's no turning back now; we've come too far to turn away. I glance at Rafaele but quickly avert my gaze before he notices. He might not allow us to turn away – not alive.
As the last symbol is pressed, the door hisses open, and my heart skips a beat. This is it – the moment of truth.
"Remember," Rafaele murmurs as we cross the threshold, "what you are about to see must never be spoken of beyond this room. You must never discuss it with anyone, not even my men, for they, too, are held at bay."
I nod solemnly, knowing that our lives depend on our silence. And as the door closes behind us, sealing us within the darkness, I can only pray that we have made the right choice.
The darkness enveloping us gives way to a dimly lit corridor, revealing a labyrinth of protected barriers. My heart races as my father, and I follow Rafaele to navigate through the narrow path carefully, our every move calculated to avoid the high-tech laser beams that crisscross the space like a deadly web.
"Watch your step, Romola," my father whispers, his voice strained with tension.
"Stay close," Rafaele instructs, guiding us through the maze with the ease of someone who has walked this path countless times before. His presence is both reassuring and intimidating.
We twist and turn, ducking beneath beams of light that could cause harm in an instant. My breath comes in shallow gasps. Again, I feel cold and can’t suppress a light shiver.
"Almost there," Rafaele murmurs, his eyes never leaving the path before us. "Just a few more steps."
