I was seven years old when I first glimpsed the darkness that would come to define my life. It was a cold, moonless night, and the Donatelli mansion stood as a silent sentinel against the obsidian sky. From my window, I could see the stars twinkling, as if they were winking at me, unaware of the horrors about to unfold.

My name is Aiden Donatelli, heir to the Donatelli crime family. On the surface, we were a prominent and respectable family, involved in various legitimate businesses, respected by many. But beneath that façade lay our true power, our criminal empire, hidden in plain sight.

As I lay in bed that fateful night, I heard faint whispers and footsteps. A sense of unease washed over me. I could tell something was terribly wrong. I made my way down the grand staircase, my small heart pounding like a drum. What I saw in the opulent marble foyer would haunt me for the rest of my days.

Men clad in shadowy silhouettes moved with stealth and precision. Their faces were obscured, but I recognized their intent. It was a coup, a bloody takeover by the rival Kovacs Mafia. I watched in horror as they attacked, mercilessly gunning down my family.

"James!" I cried out, searching for our loyal butler, who had always protected me. He was there, amidst the chaos, fierce and unwavering. With his help, I managed to escape, guided through a hidden passage, leaving behind the life I had known.

We fled through winding tunnels beneath the mansion, leaving the place that had been my sanctuary. A few steps behind me were three of our most trusted gang generals, their faces etched with determination, and two maids who had sacrificed themselves to protect me.

We emerged in a hidden safe house, far removed from the sprawling mansion. It was smaller, less grand, but it was where we would rebuild our lives. This was my new world, where I would learn the brutal truth about power, loyalty, and the shadows that rule the night.

"Mr. Aiden," James began, his voice trembling with a mix of fear and determination, "This is where we start anew. They took everything from us, but they won't take our legacy. We will rebuild, and we will rise again."

I nodded, my gaze locked on the small, trembling hands that had once held the toys of my innocence. They were now fists, clenched with a determination to restore the Donatelli name.

The trauma of that night would forever define me. It was a night that stole my family, my childhood, and my innocence. As I lay in the unfamiliar bed of our safe house, I vowed to become something more, something they would fear, and something they could never destroy. The shadow that had been born that night would become the Shadow King.

With the weight of my family's legacy and the horrors I had witnessed, I embarked on a journey that would take me from the darkest alleys of the criminal underworld to the lofty halls of Stanford University. This was just the beginning, and the night was only the first chapter in a saga of power, revenge, and redemption.

*To be continued...*