CHAPTER 123: THE RETURN OF DESTINY

Far away, under the ruins of an ancient temple in another realm....

Alessia’s fingers brushed across cold stone.

The chamber she stood in was silent, untouched by time. Dust floated like ghostly snowflakes in the shafts of blue light streaming through cracks in the wall.

Her lantern flickered, throwing trembling shadows on the runes carved into the walls.

And there it was.

"The Great Black Book".

It rested upon a pedestal of bone-white marble, its cover carved with intertwining serpents and a single crimson gem pulsing faintly in the center.

The air around it shimmered with a strange energy, making the tiny hairs on her arms stand on end.

Her heart thudded painfully. "So this is it," she whispered. "The book Donato Morano and Princess Elowen have been searching for..."

She stepped closer, unable to tear her gaze away.

The moment her fingertips brushed the book’s edge, ancient letters began to shimmer on the pedestal, curling into existence in burning gold ink.

Her breath caught as the glowing words rearranged into a language she somehow understood.

"You are not the one.

You will find this book before those destined to hold it.

It is not your right to take it. It is theirs to claim."

Alessia’s throat at tightened. She looked down at the book again, torn between awe and dread.

"What does that even mean?" she murmured. "If it’s theirs to claim, then... am I stealing destiny by being here?"

For a moment, she imagined Donato’s face—serious, determined, haunted by his mission to find this very book.

She imagined Princess Elowen beside him, her soft voice full of faith and sorrow.

They were miles... no, worlds—away.

How could they ever find this place?

She exhaled shakily, her mind spinning.

"If I take it back to the Morano estate," she reasoned aloud, "Luca could contact Donato. He’d know what to do."

But even as she said it, something inside her hesitated.

The words on the pedestal still glowed faintly, as if warning her.

It is not your right to take it.

Her gaze dropped again to the book.

The crimson gem in its center pulsed in rhythm with her heartbeat. The temptation was unbearable—it felt like the book wanted her, like it recognized her presence.

A faint hum filled the air.

Whispers began to curl through the chamber—soft, feminine voices.

"Touch it... claim it... before it’s too late..."

Alessia’s pulse quickened. She stepped back. "No. I can’t."

But another part of her whispered, If you don’t, someone else will. What if it falls into the wrong hands?

She closed her eyes, torn between logic and instinct, between destiny and defiance.

The lantern’s flame flickered wildly—then went out.

Darkness swallowed her whole.

Somewhere in that suffocating black, she heard a low, ancient voice whisper directly in her ear:

"If you take what isn’t yours... you will awaken what sleeps."

Her eyes flew open, heart pounding. She could barely see the outline of the pedestal now but the crimson gem burned brighter, bathing the chamber in blood-red light.

Alessia’s trembling hand hovered over the book.

"Should I... take it to the Morano estate?" she whispered, almost to herself. "Or should I leave it here and risk Donato never finding it?"

She hesitated, tears stinging her eyes.

The walls around her began to pulse slowly, like a heartbeat while the whispers grew louder.

Choose, they urged. Now.

And just as she took a breath to decide, a faint echo drifted through the tunnel behind her,

a man’s voice, distant but unmistakable.

"Alessia..."

She froze.

Her lantern flared back to life on its own, its flame blue this time.

Her reflection shimmered faintly on the marble floor, but the face staring back wasn’t hers. It was Donato’s.

Her pulse stopped.

"Donato?" she whispered.

The reflection smiled faintly—then vanished.

The crimson gem on the book gave one last pulse.

And then the chamber fell silent again, leaving her trembling between destiny and doom.

***********

The wind whispered through the sacred chamber, cold and patient, brushing against Alessia’s hair like unseen fingers bidding her farewell.

The black book lay open on the altar — its ancient pages breathing faint light, symbols pulsing as though alive.

The same symbols that had dragged her into this twisted destiny of blood, love, and legacy.

For hours she had stared at it, torn between fear and temptation. That book held everything... Luca’s curse, Donato’s truth, Bianca’s betrayal, even her own fate.

But as she watched the faint crimson glow fade into nothing, Alessia realized something with a clarity that burned through her soul. "Some destinies aren’t meant to be rewritten. They’re meant to be lived".....

Her trembling fingers brushed the cover once more. "You’ve ruined enough lives," she whispered. "Not anymore."

She closed the book gently, the sound echoing like a final heartbeat.

Then she stepped back, lifted her chin, and let destiny prevail.

The moment she turned to leave, the air around her warped. A soft hum filled the silence, the walls rippling like the surface of disturbed water. The floor beneath her vanished.... It shifted as if reality itself bowed to the choice she’d made.

Her heart lurched.

A blinding white light swallowed her whole.

When Alessia’s eyes fluttered open, she wasn’t in the temple anymore.

She was standing in the grand marble lobby of the Morano mansion.

The air was different — sharp with the familiar scent of expensive cologne and burning sandalwood.

Chandeliers blazed overhead, painting gold light across the staircase she’d once fled down in tears.

Her breath hitched, She was back.

A soft gasp broke the silence. "M-Master... Master... Here she is.. "

A maid’s trembling voice rang out, followed by hurried footsteps.

Within seconds, the mansion came alive. Guards stepped from corners. Daisy appeared at the top of the stairs, her eyes wide with disbelief. Even the household staff usually stoic , murmured prayers under their breath.

Then.... A voice was heard

"Move." The voice was deep.

That deep, commanding, velvet voice she could never mistake.

The crowd parted instantly.

Luca Morano stepped through them like a shadow coming to life. His black Sleeve top was immaculate, his tie loose, his dark eyes locked only on her. There was a dangerous softness in his gaze — a war between fury and relief, possession and love.

Alessia barely breathed before he reached her.

He didn’t ask where she’d been, he didn’t question how, he just took her.

"Here," he said, his voice low and rough, his arm snaking around her waist. "Here is my woman."

The words echoed across the marble like a vow.

Gasps rippled through the hall, but Luca didn’t care.

He crushed her against him, his scent flooding her senses, his heartbeat pounding against her chest as if proving he was real. Then, before she could even whisper his name, his lips claimed hers — hard, desperate, and hungry.

The kiss wasn’t gentle. It was possession. It was apology. It was every fear, every sleepless night, every moment of madness between them.

Alessia melted into him. The world disappeared... the mansion, the onlookers, the pain. Only Luca existed.

When he finally pulled back, their foreheads pressed together, his voice came out ragged. "You came back to me."

Her throat tightened. "I... I didn’t mean to leave. The book... "

He silenced her with a thumb brushing across her lips. "Don’t talk about that cursed thing. You’re here. That’s all that matters."

For a heartbeat, peace settled.

Until... A soft cough.

"Uh, sorry to interrupt your... cinematic reunion," Daisy said dryly from the stairs, arms crossed. "But where’s Bianca?"

The silence that followed was sharp enough to cut air.

Alessia blinked, glancing around. "I... I didn’t see her. She wasn’t there when I.... "

Luca’s eyes darkened, but not with anger — with control. The kind that sent men running.

He straightened, his arm still possessively around Alessia’s waist. "Everyone," he said, his tone sharp as steel. "Leave us."

"But sir.... " Daisy tried to speak

"I said leave." luca insisted

No one dared defy him. Within seconds, the lobby emptied. Daisy gave Alessia a look part concern, part relief before slipping away.

The heavy doors shut and silence returned.

**********

Luca turned back to Alessia. The tension in his shoulders softened, replaced with something rawer , almost reverent.

He reached out, his fingers tracing the side of her face, down her jaw, lingering at her throat where his name once rested in bruises of passion.

"You have no idea," he murmured, "what it did to me, waking up and finding you gone."

She swallowed. "I didn’t mean to, I was pulled into something I couldn’t control. It felt... like time itself stopped."

He smiled faintly but it wasn’t his usual dangerous smirk. It was softer, haunted. "That’s what loving you feels like, cara mia. Like time stops and the world disappears. And I lose everything that makes me the man I’m supposed to be."

Alessia’s chest ached. "Luca..."

"Shh." He tilted her chin up. "Let me look at you."

His gaze roamed her face, memorizing every freckle, every breath.

Then he kissed her forehead, the gesture unexpectedly gentle. "You’re thinner. You haven’t eaten properly."

"I didn’t have much choice."

"You do now."

He pulled her into his arms again, leading her toward the couch. When she sat, he knelt before her — Luca Morano, the man who ruled half the underworld, kneeling at her feet.

He removed her shoes carefully, massaging her ankles, his hands warm and firm.

"You don’t have to..... "

"I want to." His voice was low, filled with restrained emotion. "You carried pain I should have borne. You fought battles I should have ended. If pampering you makes up for even one scar, I’ll spend my life doing it."

Her throat burned. "You’re not supposed to say things like that."

He looked up, dark eyes glimmering with something fierce. "Why? Because men like me aren’t allowed to love like this?"

She blinked away tears. "Because you’ll make me believe in forever."

"Then believe." He leaned closer. "Because I’m not letting you go again. Not even death can separate us now."

He kissed her hand, slow and reverent, then rested his forehead against it. "Alessia Morano," he whispered, the name trembling with meaning. "You are my madness... and my salvation."

The room grew still, the air humming with love so fragile it could break with one wrong word.

Then he looked up again, voice barely a whisper. "Tell me, did you find what you were searching for?"

She hesitated. "I found the book."

Luca’s eyes hardened. "And?"

"I left it, I wasn’t supposed to come along with it." Alessia said.

He exhaled slowly, relief mixing with pride. "Good. Some things are better buried."

She nodded, but her gut twisted. Was it really over?

********

Hours seemed to melt as they spoke of small things, of lost days, of hope. For the first time in what felt like eternity, Alessia laughed softly, and Luca watched her like a man reborn.

Outside, the night deepened, wind whispering across the estate grounds.

Then.....

A sound broke through the serenity.

A loud clang. Followed by gasps and murmurs from outside the mansion.

Luca froze, his instincts flaring instantly. His body went still that same dangerous stillness that made men kneel.

"What was that?" Alessia whispered, standing.

He turned toward the window, eyes narrowing. "Stay here."

But she followed anyway, her hand clutching his sleeve as they both stepped out onto the veranda.

The courtyard lights flickered under the weight of fog. Guards surrounded something — a dark, long object in the middle of the compound.

A... coffin.

Its lid creaked open slowly, the sound echoing like a scream through the night.

Gasps rippled among the guards as an old man rose from within his gray hair matted, his suit dirt-stained, his eyes sharp as ice.

He stepped forward, unbothered by the guns aimed at him.

"I demand to see Luca Morano," the old man said, his voice thunderous, echoing through the night.

Luca’s hand went to his holster, eyes narrowing. "Who dares.... "

The old man lifted something from his coat — a black envelope, sealed with crimson wax.

"My name," he said, his voice breaking the night like a curse, "is Galiver. I bring a message from the underworld itself."

Alessia’s breath hitched, a chill crawling up her spine.

Galiver smiled faintly, a smile that carried death. "i want to reveal a strong prophecy to you, Don Luca."

The wind howled.

The coffin behind him slammed shut on its own.

And the Morano estate plunged into an unnatural silence — the kind that came only before something monstrous....