Chapter 109: The Truth
Dante came back later with warm cooked food and entered Lyra's cell. Lyra stared at Dante, surprised and curious as he spoke. His calm words painted a picture of Nocturnia that she had never considered before—a complex balance of power, with the Nightfall Mafia playing a role that was more complicated than she had first thought.
"I am not directly involved in the Mafia's dirty work," Dante explained, looking straight at Lyra. "But I see why it's necessary, the role it plays in keeping our world stable. There are many other groups, other mafias, that would happily take what we have if they could. The tough actions of Nocturnia, as unpleasant as they may be, are a needed evil."
Lyra's mind raced as she took in Dante's words, trying to match this new information with what she had always believed about the Nightfall Mafia. Could it be that they were not the pure evil she had thought? Could there be shades of gray in a world she had only seen in black and white?
"I know this might be hard for you to understand," Dante continued, his voice softer now. "But I am not your enemy, Lyra. In fact, I have already helped you and your friends."
Lyra's eyes widened, her heart skipped a beat. "What do you mean?" she asked in a quiet voice.
Dante leaned forward, his look intense. "There was a planned attack, an ambush that would have surely ended with your resistance group getting hurt. I used my position in the Mafia to stop that attack, to make sure your friends were safe."
Lyra was stunned, her mind filled with questions. Why would Dante, a high-ranking member of the Nightfall Mafia, risk his position to protect her and her friends? What could he gain from this?
Seeing her confusion, Dante raised a hand, looking serious. "I know you have many questions, Lyra. And I'm ready to give you the answers you're looking for, but I need something from you."
Lyra's heart raced, her palms sweaty as she waited for Dante to go on.
"I'm offering you a deal," he said quietly but with intensity. "Your help, in exchange for information about your parents' death."
Lyra gasped, shocked. Her parents' death had been her main motivation, the reason she joined the resistance and committed to fighting the Nightfall Mafia. The possibility that Dante could give her answers, closure, was both exciting and frightening.
"I don't know everything about what happened to your parents," Dante confessed, maintaining eye contact. "But I have the means and the power to find out. I can get the information you need, Lyra, but only if you agree to cooperate with me, to trust me."
Lyra's heart pounded, her mind spinning with what Dante's offer meant. Could she really trust him, this mysterious man who seemed to balance between good and evil? Could she set aside her own biases, her desire for revenge, to find out the truth?
With a wave of his hand, Dante's essence flared, and the chains that bound Lyra shattered, falling away like leaves in the wind. Lyra rubbed her wrists, her eyes wide with surprise and a hint of suspicion as she looked up at her captor.
Weekly Power Status
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Ranking 
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