Harlington was a city that never truly slept. The streets of downtown were filled with the dazzling neon lights that shone brightly, reflecting off the windows of luxury stores. Expensive cars glided smoothly on the highways, while above them, corporate helicopters hovered toward the rooftops of skyscrapers.
However, on the other side of the city, the scene was vastly different. In the narrow, damp alleys, life moved beneath the shadows. Streetlights flickered, the sound of police sirens echoed in the distance, and the smell of factory smoke mixed with the scent of cheap food from street vendors.
Here, in a small, nearly lightless corridor, Alicia Moretti was slicing dry bread in her tiny apartment kitchen. Luca, her seven-year-old brother, sat at a small table, drawing with nearly worn-out colored pencils.
"Is this enough for dinner?" Luca asked without looking up from his drawing paper.
Alicia gave a thin smile, hiding the worry in her eyes. "Of course, darling. Tomorrow we'll have more."
But in her heart, she knew that was a lie. Her salary as a waitress in a small café barely covered the rent and their daily needs.
Alicia's World
Alicia was a young woman, beautiful, with long black hair she always kept neatly tied. Her brown eyes were sharp, full of determination, but beneath that, there was a shadow of exhaustion she could not hide. Her life was one of relentless struggle.
After losing both her parents in a mysterious car accident five years ago, Alicia took on the role of caretaker for Luca. Their lives had drastically changed from a simple, happy family to residents of the slums of Harlington.
In that small kitchen, the sound of knocking suddenly broke the silence. Alicia straightened her back, staring warily at the door.
"Who's there?" she asked in a hushed voice.
The First Encounter with the Dark World
The knocking came again, this time louder. Alicia opened the door slightly, making sure the security chain was still on. Outside, a man with a sharp face and a sly smile stood, holding an envelope.
"A message for you, Alicia," he said in a tone that sent chills down her spine.
"I don't know who you are. Go away," Alicia replied firmly, trying to close the door.
The man stopped the door with his hand. "You know who I am, little girl. Marco wants you to work for him again. He says you owe him."
Alicia clenched her fist behind the door, trying to stay calm. "I have no business with him anymore. Tell him I'm not interested."
The man chuckled softly. "You think you can just walk away? Marco doesn't like being rejected. You know what will happen if you don't listen to him, right?"
Alicia froze. She knew that the threat was not just an empty one. Marco Viani's world, the leader of the local gang who had once tried to recruit her, was a world full of cruelty and violence.
"Leave now, or I'll call the police," she said more firmly.
The man snorted before throwing the envelope on the floor. "Think carefully, miss. We'll be back."
After the man left, Alicia locked the door and leaned against the wall, trying to steady her breath. Inside the envelope was a photo of Luca, taken from a distance, with a note:
"Don't make us wait."
That night, Alicia sat beside Luca's bed, staring at her little brother's peaceful sleeping face. She knew she had to find a way out of this situation. There was no way she would let people like Marco touch her family again.
She remembered something—a lavish party held by Greystone Group, where she would work as an extra waitress. Though the job was only for one night, the pay was enough to help pay off some of the debt their father had left behind.
"I will protect you, Luca. No matter what happens," she whispered before closing her eyes, determined to face whatever awaited her at that party.