I remember waking up to the taste of blood. Thick, iron cuffs chained to the walls clamped down on my arms and legs. My body was stiff, as if iron bars were driven in and somehow lodged themselves between every fiber of my muscles. Stricken with pain, I was shaking and slobbering as I tugged on the chains and struggled to free myself.

Amid ragged breaths I mustered a voice, "hey, somebody, anybody! Let me out!"

For a few minutes there was nothing. No presence, no answer, nothing. Veiled in shadows, I could barely make out my surroundings beyond the stone floor and the single, flickering lamp hanging above my head.

Then, someone appeared, stepping into the light. I looked closely and saw a pair of green eyes tinged with a mix terror, pity and regret.

"Serafina's gone." She cleared her throat as if to calm herself. "But now there can be no doubt. You are the Zanna Decimo."

That one line jolted me awake, opening my eyes to the light of the morning sun shining in like an arrow piercing through the curtains. Shaking my head and wiping away the beads of sweat, I made my way towards the balcony. The morning warmth and the usual saline musk filled the air. Soon after, the streets were filled with chatter and laughter. The waters refracted sunlight into a multitude of colors, somehow adding on to the joy.

It was beautiful. It was like looking down at a kingdom. My kingdom.

Leaning out on the railing and basking in the sun, I can't but smile. The myriad of design of the buildings, a seamless blend of old and new, was complemented by the canals flowing through them. The waters and the people come together to form an ecosystem like no other.

As I continued admiring the gorgeous landscape of Venice I noticed a pair of familiar faces waving back at me from afar.

"Heyyy Zio, Zia!" I throw up both arms waving. "bondi!"

Suddenly there was knocking on the door from inside. It was loud enough to be heard from the balcony.

Uh Oh.

"Ahem, please refrain from yelling, Sir. Oh, and may I know when you'll be ready?"

"Sorry. Um, give me five more minutes, Kiera."

"Very well, I shall see you down in the dining hall, Don Amato," she said, before her footsteps faded away.

As soon as I was done I made my way down the stairs, occasionally skipping a step or two. Every trip up or down the grand spiral stairwell would take forever if I didn't. Even so, the eye-catching Gothic designs carved into the wood always caught my gaze. Stopping at the great doors of the dining hall I made sure to adjust my hair, jacket and tie before heading in.

With a light push the doors creaked open, revealing a large hall with a fancy pearl white table in its center. Light pouring through the beautiful stained glass windows all but stole my breath away.

Making my way towards my chair I realized there were less than handful of people present for breakfast today, as opposed to the usual council. As always, they were all dressed up in their snazzy suits and waiting for me, making the utmost effort to smile, nod and kiss my hand when I approached. I knew it was mostly a formality though, a mask they put on, because they return to their dour expression as soon as the greeting ended. Admirable discipline aside, there was something cold in their eyes. Some of them even wear their battle-scars and tattoos on their sleeves. Despite how intimidating they were though, what surprised me the most was the fact that I was getting used to it all. In the corner of the room, Kiera greeted me with a beaming smile and a nod, with her usual breakfast trolley in tow.

"Bondi, friends," I said while pulling out my chair.

"Bondi, don!"

"Now then, let us enjoy our first meal of the day before the usual reports."

According to Kiera, there were rules when it came to breakfast. No one was to eat before I did, and no one was to be seated before I did.

"… the gambling scene has been thriving. Both the popularity of online-gambling and the boom in tourism contributed to greater profit estimates for this fiscal year as compared to the year before."

As I listened, my eyes glossed over the corresponding data printed on the documents in my hands.

"Shall I serve you another cup, Don Amato?"

Kiera's voice pried my face away from the various graphs and diagrams to the sight of the her steaming milk and brewing coffee from the espresso machine attached to her trolley.

"That'd help, thanks."

"I live to serve," she said as she pulled out a portafilter. A few minutes later she popped up again with the cup of coffee in hand, placing it on my side of the table with a soft clink. "One cappuccino, just the way you like it."

With an accomplished look she moved on to the other members. Soon the fragrant scent of coffee, milk and cream filled the air. Before I knew it, I reached out for the cappuccino, eager for a sip.

Hm, when did she find the time to draw a heart on the créma?

The sweet and creamy flavor opened way to bitter nuttiness. It felt like the cappuccino was perking up my senses starting with taste from the tip of my tongue. Soon I was wide awake and the reports became crystal clear.

With the help of Kiera's coffee we managed to wrap up the session right on time.

There was an empty seat that kept bothering me though. "Wait a minute." I pointed to the guy just finishing up. "You're… Enrico, right? You're part of protection?"

The man slipped out a groan. "Y-yeah, that's me."

"Where's Joshua?"

"I thought I told you not to get up! Your body needs to rest, at least for today!" Dr. Rosalia's voice spilled out into the corridor of the infirmary. Rushing towards the direction of the voice, we saw the full extent of Joshua's injuries as we stepped into the ward.

His body was all battered and bruised. Our personal doctor sat beside him, checking on the pressure dressing bandaged over the hole in his chest. Within her arm's reach was a tub of water with drops of blood and several deformed bullets and pieces of shrapnel mixed in. Joshua even had an IV drip plugged into his arm.

"How the hell did this happened?" I said.

As soon as Joshua noticed us, he grit his teeth as his cheeks turned red. There was little he could do but turn away and click his tongue.

"He got ambushed and dragged into a firefight with a rival famiglia while going through the rounds last night," Dr. Rosalia said while still focused on the wound. "It wasn't just him either. There were multiple casualties."

"Doctor!" Joshua shot her a glare. "You fucking talk too much!"

"What! Ambushed?" I couldn't help but yell. Out of habit, I turned to the golden-haired maid beside me. "Kiera, did you know about this?"

"I… apologize, Don Amato. I was not informed," Kiera said in muffled voice. She had one hand over her mouth the entire time.

"Ha, don't bother," Joshua said, "she's just a servant of the manor. She may know of some of our traditions, but she's not privy to everything we do, you know?"

"Then why didn't you send for me? I could have—"

"You could have what? Helped?" Joshua chuckled beneath his breath and shrugged. "It's shit like this that makes it hard for me to take you seriously, kid."

All that swagger even as he laid injured, and he still hasn't properly answered any of my questions. "Do you not trust me?"

"No, I don't. I thought that was obvious."

"That's enough, Joshua!" Kiera said. "Regardless of how you might feel, I would be remiss if I did not remind you that you are in the presence of your don. It would be wise to show your respect."

Joshua slammed his fist on the wall with a loud thud. "He is not my don!" For the first time in this conversation, Joshua faced me, albeit with bloodshot eyes and spitting fire with every word, "Luciano was my light!"—in a fit, he started squirming, groaning and coughing out blood—"this kid's nothing more than a deranged beast that just happens to be carrying his blood!"

"Dammit, his wounds are reopening!" Dr. Rosalia said as she tried to ease Joshua's condition, "Don Amato, I'm afraid I'm going to need you to leave. He's exhausted and not thinking straight. He's just going to bring up the past and get more agitated if you stay."

"Y-yeah."

Joshua's rage had caught me off-guard and left me stunned, but the hearing the doctor's voice got me moving again. I looked to Kiera only to see her blinking, just recovering from the frozen expression she had. It must have been the same for her.

"I meant now, Don Amato!"

The visit to the infirmary left us in a sullen mood as Kiera and I got ready for school. The air of silence hanging over us as we made our way out was suffocating, but it didn't felt right to speak either. Growing up, there weren't a lot of children in the manor. Kiera was the only one close to my age, so I always found myself seeking her out, whether it was for advice or for help. Thankfully her position as my personal servant meant that more often than not she would be right there by my side, ready to answer.

After all that I had seen this morning however, I just couldn't find the words.

The silence grew more and more awkward, hitting its peak when we boarded the vaporetto. After all, the only thing we could do was sit for the entire duration of the ride. It didn't help when everyone else on board were chatting up a storm either. Snippets of details gave me insight into their lives, whether it was how their morning had been or what was in store for them for the rest of the day.

"I don't want to seem presumptuous." Kiera's voice drew me back. "But after much deliberation I believe talking about it will ease our troubled hearts, Don Amato."

"Yeah, I think I'd like that."

"You're bothered by what Joshua said, aren't you?" Kiera said, her green eyes downcast.

I shook my head. "It's not just that. You saw how bad it was back there. Joshua wasn't the only one who got hurt. The way they acted when I paid them a visit…"

"Ah, but there were some who were grateful as well," Kiera said.

"But they didn't seem sincere at all." The false greetings from the meeting came to mind. "It felt like they were just trying to be polite, like so many others. Things can't go on like this. How long before the entire operation falls apart?" I fished out the wolf's fang necklace from under my shirt. "Maybe I shouldn't have gone through with the inheritance ceremony so soon." A prized heirloom of the Zanna Famiglia, the intricately-sculpted casting wrapped itself seamlessly around the wolf's fang, reminiscent of a wolf all curled up as it rested. An impressive piece of metalwork, to be sure. Even now it gave off a luster that suggested nothing of its age. "A month was hardly enough time for me to earn anyone's respect. Not to mention, what happened that night..."

Kiera took my open hand and looked at me vehemently. "What happened that night wasn't your fault, Amato."

My eyes widened. I couldn't believe she dropped the honorific.

When Kiera realized it, she cleared her throat and tightened the squeeze from her soft hands, "D-don Amato! I apologize. I meant no disrespect."

"None taken."

"Anyways, what I was trying to say was, there was no way you could have known what was going to happen."

"That's where you're wrong, Kiera." I pulled away from her. "All that was needed to tame the great spirit was a show of will. Mine simply wasn't strong enough. If I was stronger, Serafina would still be alive."

"It all boils down to that, doesn't it?" Kiera took hold of my hand again. "You're still grieving over what happened."

"I… should be punished, yet I got away scot-free. They even gave me the seat of 'don', all served up on a silver platter, because of my blood,"—I felt smaller with every word, as if I was sinking into my seat—"so I understand why they feel that way about me, and personally, I agree. I'm sorry, Kiera. I know I shouldn't be doubting myself like this."

"Don't apologize. There are times when you can't help how you feel." Kiera's gentle touch nudged my chin, lifted my head and got me to face her again. Back to her calm, reassuring eyes and the warmth of her smile. "But you can't keep dwelling on the past, Don Amato. You have to find strength in the events that transpired, and move on."

"Find strength… and move on." I repeated the words like a mantra. Yet the nightmare from this morning and Joshua's outburst were both unbearably clear. "I don't know if I can."

"You must!" Kiera drew her hand back, her eyes growing sharp. "The Zanna famiglia needs you, now more than ever. Do you remember why they only recently pushed for your initiation and subsequent succession despite the fact that your father had been missing for the past five years?"

"I remember." My eyes scanned our vicinity to make sure nobody was listening in. It was something real sensitive. "It's because of the Succession, right? They finally found a worthy candidate."

"That's the rumor," Kiera said, her voice reduced to a whisper. "There hasn't been anything concrete but the signs are there.

"The Succession is more than simply an auspicious time though. It is a time of opportunities, where new alliances can and will be forged, and mafiosi from all over strive to earn rank and favor in the eyes of the strongest famiglia in all of Italy. This is our chance to drag the Zanna Famiglia name out of the gutter, but it simply could not happen if the seat of don remained empty."

"You're right." I nodded. "Of course, you're always right. My feelings doesn't matter. What matters is protecting everyone, and my being don puts me in the best position to do that. I have to work hard to secure those resources, gain prestige to deter our enemies, and ultimately, keep everyone safe."

"No, that's not what I—"

"All right, I've decided," I said, meeting Kiera's surprised look with a grin. It felt good to be able to feel so certain again. "I'm taking all those injured off active duty."

Kiera closed her eyes and gave out a sigh. "They will not take kindly to that."

"But this is for their own good, Kiera"

"Might I suggest shifting them into clerical roles instead?" Kiera said, before standing up from her seat. "Regardless, it would seem we have reached our stop."

Before we knew it, teens filled the cobblestone streets, all headed in the same direction. Just like on the ferry, the ambient noise was more or less all chatter. It made me a mite bit restless when I realized we were standing out, being the only ones staying quiet. Furthermore, most of the guys would find their eyes inevitably drawn towards the golden haired beauty at my side, before throwing out their dagger-like glares in my direction.

"You know, I realized something after our little talk."

Kiera tilted her head slightly. "And what might that be, if you don't mind my asking?"

"I never really noticed it until today but… I kinda miss how things were between us, when you weren't obligated to be formal to me all the time. You know, like how you messed up just now on the vaporetto?" I touched the back of my neck. "I really enjoyed seeing that. I think the real you, the girl beneath that uniform, is super charming."

Suddenly, Kiera stopped dead in her tracks. Her entire posture stiffened, with her arms locked side and shoulders trembling. Kiera slowly looked up at me, and I saw her eyes wincing while her cheeks and ears flushed red. "I, you, how… ugh." She shook her head vigorously before taking deep breaths. "You silver-tongued devil… thank you." With a bashful smile, she tucked her hair behind her ear.

"You're welcome," I said, as we resumed walking. From an off-hand glance I saw the guys who were leering at Kiera from before now seething with envy.

Hah, know your place! You're all hardly qualified to be going after a jewel like her.

After half a click, the school flag came into sights.

"And here we are," Kiera said, as she climbed the steps towards the door. "Also, I suppose I can afford to be a bit more informal while we're here."

I wanted to follow, but for some reason I stopped. The grand doors always felt daunting. "H-hold on Kiera, just… give me a minute."

Kiera turned around, took one look at me, and grew worried. "Amato, is something troubling you? You've gone pale. You have had quite the rough morning. Are you perhaps not well enough to attend class today?"

"No, I'm fine."

Past these doors meant that I would no longer be Amato Zanna, don of the Zanna Famiglia, but rather Amato D'Luciano instead. Just a regular high school student. At the very least, I was not allowed to drag dark into light, otherwise there would be consequences.

I slapped both of my cheeks. "All right. Let's go."