The air crackled with tension as Luca and Victor faced each other in the chaos of the battlefield.
Gunfire and explosions continued around them, but for a brief moment, everything else faded away. It was as if time had stopped, leaving only the two men standing at the center of the storm.Nereus's heart pounded in his chest as he stood beside Victor, feeling the weight of the moment.
Luca's cold, calculating gaze never left Victor's face, and the malice in his eyes was impossible to miss. There was history here—pain, betrayal, loss—all bundled up into this moment. And Nereus knew that whatever happened next, it would change everything.
"You never learned, did you, Victor?" Luca's voice was venomous, his smile dark and mocking. "You can't run from your past forever."
Victor's gun remained aimed at Luca, but his body was taut with anger and frustration. His voice was low, but it held a cutting edge. "This ends tonight, Luca. No more games. No more lies. You'll pay for everything you've done."Luca's smirk only widened as he stepped closer, his voice dripping with contempt.
"You always were so predictable. Always so certain that you could outsmart me. But this time... this time, I have the upper hand."Victor's eyes narrowed.
"You're wrong. This time, I'm not alone."
Nereus stepped forward, standing firmly by Victor's side. His voice was steady, despite the fear gnawing at the back of his mind. "We're in this together, Victor."Luca's gaze flicked toward Nereus, and for a split second, his smirk faltered.
"So the merman finally shows his face. You really are desperate, aren't you, Victor?"Victor's jaw clenched. "You don't know anything about us. You never will."Luca laughed, a sharp, cruel sound that echoed through the night.
"You've always been too emotional, Victor. Always letting your heart get in the way. It's why you'll never win. It's why you'll never be truly free."The moment Luca finished speaking, chaos erupted.
His men, waiting in the shadows, began their assault, charging at Victor's forces with deadly precision. The sound of gunfire intensified, and the world around them erupted into a blur of violence.But Victor remained calm, his eyes locked on Luca's, never wavering.
He moved with lethal grace, cutting through the oncoming storm. Nereus followed closely behind, his instincts guiding him as he dodged incoming fire, staying close to Victor like a shadow.Victor and Luca didn't move. They stayed locked in their stare, the weight of years of animosity and betrayal building between them.
"You're outnumbered, Victor," Luca taunted, his voice barely audible over the sound of battle.
"You think you can protect the merman? You think he'll save you?"Victor's expression remained stoic, his grip on his gun unwavering.
"I don't need saving. And neither does he."
Luca's eyes flicked to Nereus for a split second, a flash of recognition—and perhaps fear—crossing his face. But before he could react, Victor made his move. He surged forward, fast and precise, his gun firing in quick, calculated bursts.
Luca's men faltered, the unexpected onslaught throwing them into disarray.Nereus's heart raced, his pulse roaring in his ears as he watched the battle unfold.
He could feel the power and anger emanating from Victor as he moved, each step taken with deadly purpose. The mafia lord had become a force of nature, unstoppable in his fury.
But Luca wasn't finished. With a snarl, he raised his own weapon and fired, sending a bullet toward Victor. Nereus didn't hesitate.
Without thinking, he lunged, pushing Victor to the side just as the bullet whizzed past. It was too close.Victor's eyes widened in surprise, his body tensing as Nereus took the hit.
Time seemed to stretch as the bullet struck Nereus in the shoulder, sending him crashing to the ground with a sharp gasp.
Pain radiated through his body, his vision blurring momentarily as he struggled to stay conscious.Victor's eyes widened in horror as he turned to see Nereus on the ground, blood spilling from the wound.
"No!" Victor roared, his voice low and filled with a primal fury. He reached out for Nereus, his hands shaking as he knelt beside him.
"Nereus, stay with me," Victor said, his voice frantic. He quickly ripped a piece of fabric from his jacket and pressed it to the wound, trying to staunch the bleeding.
But his hands were trembling, his face pale with fear.Nereus's vision swam, but he managed to open his eyes and meet Victor's gaze.
"I'm... I'm fine," he whispered, though his voice was strained and weak.
He tried to smile, but it quickly faltered as the pain surged through him.Victor's expression was one of pure devastation. "You should've stayed back... I told you it was dangerous," he muttered, his voice rough with guilt.
He pulled Nereus closer, cradling him as he continued to apply pressure to the wound.Salvatore and the other guards fought off Luca's men around them, but it was clear that the fight was raging out of control. Victor's attention was entirely on Nereus now, his focus unwavering.
"You're going to be fine," Victor said, though the words sounded more like a plea than a promise. His hands were stained with Nereus's blood, his face drawn and pale.
The calm, controlled mafia lord was gone, replaced by a man desperate to save the one person he had allowed himself to care about.Nereus swallowed, his breath coming in shallow gasps.
"Victor," he murmured, reaching out to take Victor's hand, his grip weak but determined. "I'm not going anywhere. You... you need to finish this."Victor's eyes flashed with anguish as he shook his head.
"I don't care about any of that. Not without you. I've... I've lost too much already. I can't lose you too."Nereus's fingers tightened around his hand, a flicker of strength returning to his voice.
"You won't lose me. But if you don't stop Luca now, everything we've done—everything we've fought for—will be for nothing."Victor's expression hardened, the weight of Nereus's words snapping him back into focus.
He looked around, his gaze sharp as he surveyed the battlefield. Luca's men were still advancing, but now, they had a leader who had lost his edge.Victor's eyes locked on Luca, who stood across the battlefield, his face twisted with rage and amusement.
"Luca!" Victor bellowed, his voice cutting through the chaos.
"This ends tonight! You've lost."Luca sneered, his smirk never faltering as he took a step forward, taunting Victor.
"You think this will end the way you want it? You think I'll just leave?"Victor's eyes flashed with fury, his hands gripping his gun tighter as he stood over Nereus, determined.
"I don't think. I know."
The world around them blurred as Victor sprang into action, his movements faster, more precise than ever.
He charged toward Luca, firing as he moved, his shots relentless and unyielding. Luca's men scrambled to protect their leader, but Victor was like a storm, cutting through them with ruthless efficiency.
Nereus, despite the pain, managed to push himself up on one elbow, watching in awe as Victor fought with a raw intensity that he had never seen before.
There was something terrifying in the way Victor moved, something that spoke of the darkness he had been hiding for so long.But Nereus knew this was it—the final confrontation, the moment when everything would change.
As Victor and Luca came face to face, the two men exchanged a look that was filled with years of hatred, betrayal, and regret.
Luca's smirk remained, though there was a flicker of fear behind his eyes. He knew, deep down, that this was the end.Victor's voice was a low growl as he aimed his gun directly at Luca.
"You took everything from me, Luca. But tonight, I take it all back."
Luca's eyes widened in desperation, and in that moment, he made a final, desperate move. He lunged forward, his own gun drawn, and fired.
Victor dodged instinctively, and in one swift, precise motion, he returned fire, hitting Luca square in the chest. The world seemed to slow as Luca's body jerked violently, the gun falling from his hand as he staggered backward.
His eyes went wide with shock, and then he collapsed, the life draining from him as he hit the ground with a final thud.Victor stood over him, breathing heavily, his body trembling with the aftermath of the fight.
The battlefield around them fell silent, the sounds of battle dying down as the remnants of Luca's men surrendered or fled.Victor's eyes never left Luca's lifeless form. For a moment, he didn't move, as if the weight of what had just happened hadn't quite settled in.Nereus, still struggling to sit up, watched him closely. "Victor," he whispered, his voice shaky.
"It's over. He's gone."Victor's gaze shifted, his expression hollow.
Slowly, he walked over to Nereus, dropping to his knees beside him. His hands were still trembling as he gently touched the wound on Nereus's shoulder, his face filled with concern.
"Are you okay?" Victor asked, his voice raw and strained.Nereus smiled weakly, his breath shallow.
"I'm fine. I'll be okay."Victor's hand trembled as he cupped Nereus's face, his forehead resting against Nereus's.
"I thought I lost you."
"You didn't," Nereus whispered, his eyes softening as he looked up at the man who had become so much more than he had ever imagined.
Victor closed his eyes, his chest rising and falling with deep, steadying breaths. He had won. Luca was gone.
But the real victory was that he hadn't lost Nereus—not this time.As the sounds of the battle finally died away, the world around them slowly began to return to normal. For the first time in years, Victor felt the weight lift off his shoulders, the burden of his past, of the pain he had carried for so long.
And standing there, beside the one person who had given him something to fight for, he knew he could face whatever came next.
Together.