Shadows in the Mirror

The city never slept, and tonight it seemed determined to consume Elena from within.

The streets were flooded with blinding lights and strange noises—a mix of sirens, laughter, and whispers only those who know how to listen could catch.

Elena stepped carefully on the sidewalk, the black ring hidden in her coat pocket.

She tried to keep her mind clear, but the echo of the phone warning haunted her: “Stop digging.”

In front of a shadowy bar, Luca was waiting. His face looked tired, but his eyes shone with a determination Elena had never seen before.

— We need to talk, he said quietly.

They went inside, where cigarette smoke and faint music created an atmosphere steeped in mystery.

— I got some information, Luca continued. Emily isn’t alone. She wasn’t the only one who wanted to disappear. There are others who vanished.

— Disappearances? Elena asked, tense.

— Yes. And no one spoke about them. No one except one man.

Luca pulled out an old folder, its pages yellowed and filled with hurried notes.

— His name is Marcus. He’s the one who’s saved them so far, but at a cost.

— What cost?

— In this world, nothing is free. Especially when you’re caught between the city’s mafia and those who want to control everything.

Elena opened the folder. Photos, names, dates. Stories that tore at your soul.

— And where is Marcus now?

Luca looked around to make sure no one overheard.

— Missing. Like Emily. But he left traces.

At that moment, a loud noise erupted outside the bar. The doors suddenly burst open, and two armed men stormed inside.

— Luca Moretti? one of them barked in a harsh voice.

Without hesitation, Luca slammed the table and grabbed Elena’s arm.

— Out the back!

As they fled the bar, Elena felt her heart pounding, and her world—once black and white—began to take on ever more frightening colors.

She knew one thing for certain: the fight was just beginning.

Running through narrow alleys behind the bar, the sound of their pursuers’ footsteps grew louder.

Luca held Elena’s arm tightly, his eyes scanning every corner, every shadow, searching for an escape.

— Where are you taking me? Elena asked, breathless from running.

— To the only safe place left, he replied shortly. To my place.

They arrived at an old garage, filled with dusty cars and boxes where time seemed frozen.

Luca pressed a button on a remote, and a metal door groaned open.

Inside, the atmosphere was different—an oppressive silence, where every sound was amplified.

Elena felt the tension reach into her bones.

— Why did you bring me here?

— Because where we’re going, we can’t go together. I need to tell you something… something I didn’t want to say before.

Elena looked at him, ready to hear anything, even the hardest truths.

— I’m being followed. For a long time. Not just because of Emily. For everything I know. And what I know is dangerous.

Luca pulled out an envelope filled with photographs. He flipped through them quickly in front of her: familiar and unfamiliar faces, names, places.

— These people… they’re the mafia who control the city. But they aren’t alone. They have powerful allies. And they won’t stop at anything.

Elena leaned over the photos, feeling her blood boil in her veins.

— What do you want me to do? she asked softly.

— Be careful. Stay safe. And if you can, help us fight them.

At that moment, Luca’s phone buzzed. Both looked at the screen that displayed a simple but chilling message:

“We know where you are. Don’t hide.”

Luca put his hand on his gun.

— We have to go. Now.

⸻

On their way to the car, Elena felt her world unravel. But there was no turning back.

As they climbed inside, a black car suddenly stopped in front of them. The passenger window rolled down slowly, revealing a familiar face—a man with cold eyes, devoid of any emotion.

— Welcome to hell, he said.

The engine roared into the night, but inside there was an oppressive calm—the quiet before the storm.

Luca drove with one hand gripping the wheel, the other on his gun, while Elena tried to gather her thoughts and understand what was coming next.

— Who was the man in the black car? she asked quietly, not looking at him.

Luca sighed, keeping his eyes on the road.

— His name is Victor Radu. A heavy name in the city’s underground world. An adversary you don’t want to have.

— And why is he after us?

— Because we interfered with his plans. Emily was a pawn in his game. And you… you’re the next move.

Elena felt a tight knot in her stomach. Everything was becoming more complicated, and the game was far more dangerous than she had imagined.

— What do you want me to do?

— Prepare. Learn to fight. Because whether you want it or not, you won’t be able to hide for long.

Luca turned the car onto a side street and stopped in front of an old, almost abandoned building.

— This is the place where you can be safe—for a while at least. And where I’ll teach you everything I know.

Elena got out and looked around. The building’s walls bore marks of time and neglect, but for her, it became a sanctuary.

— It won’t be easy, Luca said. But I’ve already picked a code name for you: “Mirror.” Because you have to always watch what the world shows you, but also what it hides.

Elena felt a new determination flood her soul. She was no longer just a journalist searching for the truth.

She was a fighter now.

As night descended over the city and the shadows grew thicker, Elena knew she would never be the same.

It was the beginning of a battle that would change her life forever.