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KRIMSON TAKES THE LAST piece of meat on his plate before grabbing the table napkin to gently wipe his mouth with it. He then lifts his head up and looks at Laurence, Lino, Adeline, and of course, Dr. Giovanni, who were all quietly eating their meal, their expressions almost blank.

     Tonight, they were having their last dinner together. Because in a few hours, they'll be heading to the town square to release the final plague. Everything they've done was for this very moment, so seeing it come to an end has left them all in a state of emptiness.

     "My four horsemen," Giovanni suddenly says, making all of them turn their heads to look at him.

     Giovanni has bloodshot eyes, his skin is starting to change color, and they've also been hearing him cough since this morning. None of the residents in the manor knows anything about what exactly happened to him except for Krimson, and looking at the state he is currently in, it seems like Giovanni hasn't used the cure for himself yet, proving to Krimson that this choice was definitely a hard one.

     If Giovanni were really as selfish as he claims he was, he would have injected that cure into himself the moment he got a hold of it. So Giovanni having hesitations mean that there is still something in him that wishes to make things right. The question now is, how long is Giovanni willing to pretend and deny it?

     "Today is our final meal together," Giovanni announces. "There is not much I can say to you, and I will not shame myself by giving out a half-hearted apology. But what I do want to say is that I have done what needed to be done. So after all this, you may go. I have left special gifts for you all once it's over."

     "So what, you want us to thank you?" Laurence then asks with a mocking tone, making Giovanni chuckle because he, too, finds a 'thank you' quite ridiculous, given their situation.

     "To be fair, we all had one purpose for coming here, and leaving was the main goal. I'm just glad it's over now," Marcelino says before chugging down his wine.

     "And I know that we're here to plague people, but why on earth did you send guns to our room? You think the gas I made isn't gonna work, so we'll just start shooting them?" Krimson sarcastically asks, making Laurence sigh and massage his temple in frustration.

     "Were you not listening to anything we've talked about? We already went over this," Laurence reminded Krimson, and the alter just smiled and shrugged his shoulder, making Laurence and the others sigh.

     The five of them became silent again, but after a while, Giovanni grabbed the table napkin and started coughing. When he placed the napkin back down, everyone was surprised to see blood. Without any sort of explanation, they understood what was happening to the doctor.

     He was dying.

     He was experiencing a slow and painful death.

     Adeline immediately stands from her seat and pours water into Giovanni's glass. Giovanni thanks her and then drinks from it to ease his tightening chest.

     As the silence in the dining room consumed them, Laurence and the others suddenly started hearing loud cheers from a distance. Adeline placed the pitcher of water down and quickly ran to the window to see what was happening. Up in the sky, bright lights flashed, instantly putting an excited smile on Adeline's face.

     "Fireworks," she says, immediately making Krimson run to the window as well, like some sort of little kid.

     Bright flower-like images illuminate the dark sky, making Krimson start laughing. He was laughing not because he was enjoying the display but he was laughing because, in a couple of hours, those cheers and laughter would be changed into agonizing screams. The thought of it simply made him laugh.

     "The ceremony has started," Krimson says, turning to look at Giovanni with a grin on his face. "Are you ready to release the final plague, master Giovanni?"

     Laurence, Lino, and Adeline turn their heads to look at Giovanni, who is finishing the last drop of wine in his glass. As soon as he was done with it, he wiped his mouth with the blood-stained table napkin before standing from his seat. He looks at his horsemen for one last time, and then he tells them, "Get ready, all of you. In an hour, we will let Capo di Monte know that an apocalypse will fall upon them. It is time for them to pay for their sins. And it is time for us to mercilessly collect them."

...

"Chief! We have dispatched a couple of officers around the area as you instructed. Do you have any more orders?" An officer asked as he approached the town's chief of police, Mateo Ricci.

    Mateo looks over the crowd before looking at the officer with a serious look on his face. "That's all for now. I just want all of you to be alert. If anything happens, evacuate the townspeople as we planned. And don't forget the masks we prepared in case of emergencies. Ms. Sunny graciously offered to make them for us, so ask her where she delivered them."

     "Yes, chief," the officer replies before running back to his post.

     Mateo looks back at the crowd before looking at his watch. While checking for the time, a kid suddenly bumps into him, making the man turn his head to face him.

     "S-sorry!" The kid nervously exclaims when he realizes who he bumped into.

     Mateo smiles and goes down on one knee to level the child, who seems to be terrified of him. He then reaches out and gently pats his head before telling him, "You should be careful next time, okay? I don't want you getting hurt."

     The kid was surprised, but a smile instantly appeared on his face after realizing that Mateo wasn't as scary as he thought he was.

     "By the way, where are your parents?"

     "Emanuel!" A woman's voice then calls out, making Mateo stand from the ground to see who it is.

     A woman wearing a very pretty dress rushes towards the boy and quickly grabs his arm. "I told you to stay close to me. What will happen if you get lost?" The woman scolds him before turning to Mateo. "My apologies, officer Ricci. My brother must have caused you trouble."

     "No, he's fine," Mateo answers with a charming smile, making the woman look away to hide the shy look on her face.

     "Laura! Let's go! The program is about to begin," the boy then says while aggressively pulling his sister's hand, causing Mateo to chuckle at the sight of them.

     The woman named Laura scolds her brother again, but right after, he looks back at Mateo and asks him, "Officer Ricci, would you like to join us at our stall? Our family prepared a feast for everyone. You should stop by and grab a bite."

     "Thank you for the offer, but I'll have to stay here all night to make sure nothing happens. But if I get the chance, I'll definitely drop by," Mateo answers.

     Laura nodded her head, and then she and her brother finally ran off to join their parents.

     As soon as they were gone, Mateo took a deep breath and leaned against a light post. He stares at the crowd with a smile. There are families who are happily celebrating their town's anniversary, some vendors selling sweets and other snacks, and kids just playing around as music sings in the background. But as Mateo was staring at the scene unfold, the smile on his face suddenly disappeared, and all Mateo could feel was great sadness.

     While the people celebrated in a distance, Mateo pulled out his wallet and opened it, revealing a torn paper with a drawing of himself that was made by someone very important to him. He reaches out to touch the drawing, a sad expression now painted on his face as he stares at it. 

    "Amore Mio..." he whispers, closing his eyes to remember the short moments they had together. "Please come back to me."

     Mateo tried to remember the face of his beloved, but as his eyes were closed, someone suddenly grabbed his arm out of nowhere. Mateo opens his eyes, hides his wallet back, and then immediately turns around to face the person who grabbed him.

     "Whoa! Relax, it's just me," Ludwig Vanderbilt, a man from a famous household, immediately says when he sees the officer's quick reaction.

     "Ludwig, you can't just grab me like that," Mateo tells him, making Ludwig laugh.

     "Well, you shouldn't be closing your eyes like that when you're on duty either," Ludwig replied, and Mateo couldn't say anything about it anymore.

     "But seriously though, shouldn't you be enjoying yourself? I remember your father in the past. During events like these, he'd be in one of the stalls drowning himself in booze. You should loosen up," Ludwig playfully says, but the serious expression on Mateo's face made him clear his throat in awkwardness.

     "Anyway, your father Alfredo will be appearing later, right? Heard he's going to be given some sort of award," Ludwig explains, making Mateo put on an unimpressed expression.

     "And I also heard that William Romano will make a surprise appearance too," Ludwig then reveals, surprising Mateo this time. "That man hasn't been back ever since the supposed great plague, so I'm surprised he decided to show himself again. Well, I can't blame him. William hated this town and always wanted to be in the big city."

     "Dr. William Romano will be coming as well?" Mateo asks, and Ludwig nods his head.

     "Yeah. That's probably why no one has seen Claudio yet. Some said he returned to the city as well. Hopefully, he'll show himself tonight," Ludwig then adds before patting Mateo's shoulder. "Anyway, since you're already here, work hard and catch some bad guys. The ceremony will be starting soon, and I have to get ready too because I'm planning to make a huge donation to the town."

     Ludwig winks at Mateo and finally heads back to join the crowd. 

     "Dr. Romano is coming back? Why didn't father tell me about this?" Mateo asks. He was about to report the news to the other officers since William's appearance would definitely cause unexpected events. After all, the town considers him a hero. But just as Mateo was about to grab his walkie-talkie, the sound of a microphone suddenly echoed around the town square, making Mateo look at his watch again.

     "Looks like the ceremony is about to begin," Mateo says before looking back at the crowd.

     Just across the waves of people are a stage that has a microphone in the middle and some balloons and a banner that says, 'Happy anniversary to Capo di Monte!'

     As the townspeople gather, a woman arrives pushing an older man in a wheelchair. That old man was none other than the town's mayor, Camillio Winchester.

     The crowd cheers as their beloved mayor makes his appearance. The woman pushing his wheelchair locks him in place and then adjusts the microphone towards his mouth, automatically making the crowd stop talking so that Camillio can be heard.

     It took a couple of seconds, but soon, his voice echoed across the town square.

     "T-the people...of...C-capo di...M-Monte," Camillio starts, his voice shaky due to his age and declining health. "As we celebrate t-this...occasion, I w-would like to...t-thank you all...for making this town...the t-town that we can all b-be...p-pro...proud of."

    Camillio pauses and starts coughing, making the woman behind her pat his head to help him out. She then leans towards his ear to whisper something to him, but the mayor pushes the woman away and continues on with his speech.

     "B-but...your efforts a-alone...w-wouldn't be enough. That is w-why I would like to give a special a-award...to the f-families who really b-built this town," Camillio says as a figure appears on stage, holding a cane that barely supports him.

     "Alfredo Ricci," Camillio announces, and Alfredo—the former chief of police and Mateo's father—walks towards the stage as his son, Ricardo Ricci, holds onto him so he wouldn't fall. Alfredo could barely get out of bed a few weeks ago, and people thought he'd be dead, but I guess money can do miracles.

     The crowd starts cheering as Alfredo waves to the crowd with his trembling hand. He was smiling like a star, acting as if his wife didn't pass recently.

    "N-Next is...Finn Vanderbilt. Unfortunately, Finn p-passed away a few years ago...so his s-son will stand in h-his...honor," Camillio then says, and the charming Ludwig jogs towards the stage with a huge smile on his face, waving at the crowd as well.

    "N-Now...t-to the family...who s-saved us from a terrible plague 28 years ago, please give him a w-warm welcome...William Romano," Camillio announces next, and the mere mention of his name alone instantly made the crowd go wild.

     A tall man with a pretentious smile fixes his necktie before heading to the stage to join his old friends. William Romano, the town's previous doctor and the man who claimed to have defeated the plague, shamelessly waves his hand to the townspeople who practically worship him as a god. Some were even crying as they stared at William in awe. The way they just blindly praised him was both unsettling and pitiful at the same time.

     If they really knew what kind of man he was, would they still cheer the same way?

     "It's good to see you both," William says, patting both Alfredo Ricci and Camillio Winchester's shoulders.

    The woman pushing Camillio's wheelchair pushes Camillio aside so William can speak over the microphone. But before the doctor could even say a single word, the crowd got startled as fireworks suddenly exploded in the sky.

     The first one was an almost palish green color and then followed by a bright red. The crowd starts clapping as they stare at the fireworks with wide smiles on their faces, while William and the others are confused because fireworks aren't supposed to be set off during the ceremony.

     While the cops try to figure out what's going on, black petals start falling this time. And unlike the fireworks, the townspeople weren't as excited anymore.

     "What the heck is going on?"

     "Is this part of the ceremony?"

     The people were starting to ask questions, panic slowly appearing in their eyes as they stared at the petals on the ground. William, who hasn't even given his speech yet, looks back at Camillio and asks him, "What is the meaning of this, Camillio? I have not returned to this town for years, and you decide to sabotage me?"

     Camillio was about to defend himself, but just when things were starting to become strange, white smoke suddenly appeared on the stage, immediately making the crowd back away. The police immediately rushed to the scene, including Mateo, who was now standing right in front, trying to push the people back.

     The smoke completely blocks the stage, making it hard for the others to see what is happening. But as the smoke disappeared, the people of Capo di Monte gasped in shock as four unknown figures appeared in front of them.

     Ricardo Ricci and the woman pushing the mayor's wheelchair were now unconscious on the floor. People stared at the four figures in horror, unsure of what their purpose was for ruining their celebration.

     The one wearing a mask that covered his entire face was holding onto Ludwig Vanderbilt with a knife pressed against his neck. The other man wearing a mask covering his mouth was looking at a crowd with both his pointing a gun at them. And then there was this little girl who was pointing a gun at mayor Camillio Winchester's temple.

     Mateo, who was too stunned to even move, looked at the man holding onto his father, Alfredo Ricci. The man was wearing an eye cover, but for some reason, when Mateo gazed upon him, his chest started to beat fast.

     "Chief, do you copy? What do we have to do? Who are those people?!" a panicked voice from Mateo's walkie-talkie suddenly asks.

     "Chief! Tell us what we need to do!" Another voice says.

     Mateo continues to stare at the man with the eye cover. But soon after, amidst the growing confusion, another figure makes his appearance. The crowd was dead silent, but when the figure emerged and when everyone saw the familiar mask, Mateo finally snapped out of it and quickly shouted, "Evacuate the people, now!"

     At that very moment, the town square was filled with screams. People started running while the police officers tried their best to evacuate them. But as everyone was in a state of panic, the man with a bird mask walked toward the microphone and said, "Good evening, my beloved Capo di Monte. Happy anniversary!"

     As soon as the voice echoes throughout the town, the crowd starts to mellow down. The voice was oddly familiar. It was a voice that everyone in this town admired and heard, yet its familiarity left them in denial.

     "It is such a touching scene for me and my horsemen to see you all giving the highest honor to these men in front of us tonight. It makes me so proud to be a resident here," the masked man, Giovanni de Vincenzo, says as he approaches William Romano, who is as scared as the rest of the townspeople.

     "Aren't you proud, Dr. William? To be dubbed as the hero of this town?" he asks him, reaching out to touch William's face, making the old doctor tremble in fear.

     "W-Who are you?" William asks, making Giovanni chuckle. He then reaches out for something in his pocket, but before he can even pull it out, a man suddenly rushes in front of him and screams, "Put your hands in the air, now!"

      Giovanni stops and then looks at the man wearing the police uniform. When he saw who it was, he instantly started laughing.

     Laurence immediately pointed his guns at the cop before glancing at Krimson, who was still holding onto Alfredo Ricci. Laurence thought Krimson would say something, but the alter's reaction did not change. It seems like he doesn't remember who he is. Or rather, he feels nothing about him, unlike Bishop.

     "We do not know what your intentions are here, but let your four hostages go," Mateo Ricci, the only officer who was brave enough to come forward, firmly states while still pointing his gun at Giovanni, making Giovanni laugh even more.

     "Oh, my dear old friend, your noble and honorable personality has always annoyed me," Giovanni then tells him, making Mateo's eyes widen in shock.

     The people started to whisper among each other as Giovanni walked toward the edge of the stage. Soon after that, he reaches out to remove his mask. Everyone waited in anticipation as Giovanni slowly pulled the mask off his head. And the moment his face was revealed, everyone in the town square gasped in complete disbelief.

     "Claudio?!" William—his stepfather—shouted, almost fainting as he stared at his once obedient son. He tries to grab him, but Giovanni just pushes him away, making William fall to the ground.

     Mateo was shocked as well, but the moment he saw his supposed friend's face, he immediately turned to look at the man wearing an eye cover. "B-Bishop?" He asks, trying his best not to run to him.

     "Yes, Capo di Monte! It is I, Claudio Romano, the beloved son of the Romano family!" Giovanni shouts, angering William even more. He then steps on William's chest and tells him, "Surprise, father. You were proud that you were able to adopt a capable boy like me, but you knew nothing of what I felt about you. Now I'm going to destroy you and your precious name. I will destroy the family you proudly built and force you to watch it crumble."

    "H-How dare you..."

     Giovanni's intention was never to reveal his real identity to the public. He wanted people to know that he was a Romano. He wanted them to know that all the misfortune happened in their town because of a Romano. He wanted to destroy the Romano family like how they destroyed the Vincenzos.

     "Mateo!" Giovanni then calls out, immediately making the cop look back at him. "Release the four hostages? Apologies in advance, my old friend. But who said there are only four?"

     As soon as Giovanni uttered these words, green smoke started appearing around the town square, and in a matter of seconds, people started falling one by one. 

to be continued...