Palermo woke to an uneasy calm, the kind that made Elena’s pulse race. The city’s streets seemed normal, quiet even, but the truth was far darker. The Shadow had retreated — for now — but his presence lingered like smoke in every alleyway, every hidden corner, every whispered conversation among the underworld’s lowest scum.

Elena moved through the villa’s corridors, checking updates on surveillance feeds and intercepted communications. Something gnawed at her mind, a warning she couldn’t ignore. The Shadow’s previous attacks had been precise, surgical — but this time, she sensed the move would be personal.

Enzo appeared in the doorway, his expression unreadable. “You feel it too, don’t...