Shadows of Naples: Code Lightning.

Sunlight filtered through the heavy curtains, flooding the room with a soft glow. Sofia slowly opened her eyes, savoring the rare stillness. For weeks, her life had been nothing but chaos — meetings, negotiations, war with Alicia, tension between the clans. But this morning, the world felt frozen in peace. She stretched, threw off the blanket, and rose from bed. A few minutes to freshen up — and soon she was in her office, flipping through documents. Maximilian Lehmann, her advisor, entered almost the moment she took a sip of her hot coffee. “You look tired,” he noted, sitting across from her. “It’s part of the job,” she smiled faintly, setting her cup down. “Has something happened?” Maximilian sighed, running a hand through his fair hair before leaning forward. “It’s the calm before the storm, Sofia. And that worries me.” She raised an eyebrow. “Alicia’s vanished from the radar. No attacks, no moves. It’s not like her.” “And that concerns you?” “Yes,” he said firmly. “Because an enemy who disappears is far more dangerous than one who shows her hand.” Sofia said nothing, but deep down, she knew he was right. “We’ll stay alert,” she finally replied. Maximilian studied her for a moment before standing up. Sofia’s phone buzzed, but she was too focused to notice. He glanced at the screen. > “By the way,” he said with a small smirk, “you’ve got a message from Javier.” Sofia quickly unlocked her phone. “Meet me today at three? We need to talk.” She couldn’t help but smile. “Of course.” Maximilian noticed the expression on her face and shook his head slightly. “Be careful, Sofia.” “Always.” --- The sun was high in the sky when Sofia arrived at the small restaurant with a panoramic view of the city. Javier was already there, waiting at a table on the terrace. He looked relaxed, but his sharp eyes betrayed the weight of his thoughts. “Right on time, as always,” he smiled faintly. Sofia leaned forward and kissed him before sitting down. “I don’t like making people wait,” she said, glancing at the menu. “You wanted to talk?” Javier leaned closer, resting his elbows on the table. “Alicia’s silence bothers me. She’s vanished from sight.” Sofia set the menu aside and crossed her arms. “Maximilian said the same thing. You think she’s planning something?” “She’s always planning something,” he said seriously. “And that’s what worries me.” Sofia nodded, playing with the napkin between her fingers. “So we prepare for anything.” "Exactly.” He traced a line on the table with his fingers, hesitating. “But that’s not the only reason I asked you here.” He looked at her — and her heart skipped a beat. “We haven’t had time to be alone. I thought maybe… we should take this chance.” Sofia raised an eyebrow, surprised. “Is this… a date?” A slight smile crossed his lips. “What do you think?” Her lips curved into a soft smile of her own. “Well, if it is, I’m glad you finally found the courage.” He chuckled, leaning back. “I just decided I don’t want to waste any chance to be with you.” Their eyes met, and for a moment, words became unnecessary. Warmth spread through her chest. They talked for hours — about business, life, and the uncertain future. For the first time in weeks, Sofia let herself forget who they were and simply enjoy the moment. But deep down, she couldn’t shake the feeling — Alicia’s silence was too suspicious. --- The sun was already setting when Sofia entered one of the mansion’s rooms where Luca was waiting. He sat at a table, studying a large city map marked with the territories under their control. “Finally,” he said, looking up. “I thought you wouldn’t come.” “You know I never miss important talks,” Sofia replied, taking a seat. Luca nodded and pointed at the map. “We haven’t heard a thing from Alicia in weeks. No attacks, no statements. I don’t like it.” Sofia sighed. “You’re the third person to tell me that today. I’ve been thinking about it too. At first, it seemed like coincidence, but now… Either she’s preparing something big, or she’s already lost and trying to disappear.” “If she’d lost, we’d know,” Luca said grimly. “Silence means only one thing — she’s waiting for the right moment to strike.” Sofia brushed a strand of hair back, tension growing inside her. “Then we need to be ready. Double the patrols, tighten security. If Alicia’s planning something, we’ll be ready before she is.” Luca nodded. “And if she’s truly retreating?” Sofia hesitated, then shook her head firmly. “Alicia doesn’t retreat.” “Alright,” Luca said. “Then I’ll start preparing. But be careful, Sofia. She could strike any time.” Sofia nodded. --- After the conversation, Sofia decided to rest a bit. She walked through the long corridors of the mansion and stopped by a window, gazing at the evening city. Her thoughts spun around — Alicia’s silence, Luca’s words, her meeting with Javier. Something was coming. She could feel it. The calm before the storm. Suddenly, Maximilian appeared from around the corner. His usually serious face looked even more tense. “Sofia,” he called out as he approached. “What’s wrong?” “Not yet — but something’s off,” he said, stopping in front of her. “What is it?” “One of our men reported seeing something strange near one of our warehouses. Unknown figures, trying not to be seen.” “Could they be Alicia’s people?” Maximilian shrugged. “Too early to tell. I’ve already sent a few men to check.” “Good. If it’s Alicia, we need to be ready.” He hesitated, then added quietly: “And one more thing… Don’t go anywhere alone. Please.” Sofia smiled faintly. “I’ll be fine, Maximilian.” He nodded reluctantly. > “If anything happens, call me right away.” She nodded again — but deep inside, unease was already stirring. She didn’t know yet that this would be her last quiet evening. --- Sofia sat at her desk, reading through a stack of documents. The only sounds in the room were the soft scratching of her pen and the steady rhythm of her breath. Alicia’s absence still weighed on her mind. Silence could only mean danger. Then — the door opened. Quietly. Too quietly. Sofia didn’t look up at first; she was used to people entering without knocking. But something about this movement caught her attention — quick, precise, silent. She raised her head. A man in a black mask stood at the door. No warning. Just him. Her heart leapt. Her hand darted toward the pistol lying on her desk — but he moved faster. In a blink, he was beside her. His hand struck hers, hard enough to knock the weapon from her grasp. Sofia tried to stand, but he pulled her back sharply, throwing her off balance. The world blurred — her mind dulled, the air thickened. She tried to scream, but pain shot through her chest, and darkness swallowed her vision. The last thing she saw was the black mask inches from her face — and then, a familiar whisper: “Sleep, Sofia.” And before she could fight back, her head fell forward, and her world went dark. That voice... She knew it. Lorenzo Riccardi.