"Cocytus. A river in the underworld of Greek mythology. A frozen hell that spares no traitors."
Several days had passed since the explosion. Three police officers had died, and most others were injured, including Nathan.
Though he insisted he could still move, the hospital went ahead and treated him anyway.
Leonardo had broken his ribs and once again brushed against the line between life and death—he'd lost count of how many times that had happened.
When Nathan visited him, Leonardo sighed dramatically, though his consciousness was clear. Colleagues who had never met Nathan before came in one by one to greet him, then quietly left.
"We managed to successfully transfer some of the data. We’ll know the rest soon enough," Leonardo began.
"He even turned the info on his own executives into a trap. What kind of person is he? And Livia too..."
"He probably doesn’t trust anyone," Nathan replied.
"Because he grew up in that kind of world?"
"No... even in a world like that, people are different. I’ve met mobsters who were desperate to be loved."
"Huh. You’ve got quite the eye for people," Leonardo said.
"Stay sharp. Once we’ve arrested those connected to Augusto, who knows what’ll happen to the city's peace... There’s no guarantee some punks won’t try to take advantage."
"True. And with your return home coming up, we need to stay on top of things. But I’m still surprised you noticed that laptop was a trap."
"I understand Augusto’s actions. It’s because we’re similar," Nathan said quietly.
Leonardo’s eyes widened before he burst out laughing. "Similar? Not even close!"
The hospital room filled with Leonardo’s laughter, and now it was Nathan’s turn to look surprised.
"A romantic like you could never be anything like that emotionless bastard!"
Around that time, a visitor arrived at the prison. He had the appearance of a vagrant, with a body reminiscent of a panther.
His hood was pulled low over his face, hiding pale blue eyes. He stopped in front of one inmate and removed his hood.
His platinum-blonde hair and finely chiseled features were lined with small wrinkles.
"Capo..."
The inmate was a low-ranking member of Clan Gello, tasked with sneaking into the hotel and, if possible, kidnapping Syunka. After botching the job and nearly being caught by security, Nathan had secretly arranged his arrest.
This man might hold the final answer.
"You mentioned there was a traitor," Augusto's voice echoed coldly through the iron bars.
The former subordinate flinched but lowered himself to the ground, almost groveling at Augusto’s feet.
"Yeah, I said it! There’s a traitor, someone who committed the worst crime, the one you hate the most!"
"Who is it?"
"I’ll tell you, I swear! But get me out of here! With just one word from you and some cash, I can walk free, right?"
The man's hand gripped Augusto’s ankle.
Augusto could not tolerate this. He grabbed the man by the neck and lifted him.
"It’s life or death right here. Money? Who’d pay a dime for someone who messed up as badly as you did? Now, tell me. The name of the traitor!"
He shoved him aside, and the man clutched his throat, coughing with tears welling in his eyes.
"Speak," Augusto commanded again.
The man nodded repeatedly, showing the scar that signified his loyalty.
"Of course... I'll tell you, Capo. The traitor is..."
"Who?"
"The name is... Nathan Blackmore."
Within Augusto, it all clicked into place.
Nathan.
He had helped Syunka escape, stolen the password, and taken the laptop. It was flawless—he had succeeded in everything.
Was that all?
What about the timid Matteo? Vittorio? And the police, who had started moving so efficiently?
What if Nathan had helped Leonardo that time?
It all made sense.
"Nathan..."
"Yeah, Nathan! He's been betraying you this whole time! I saw him handing documents to a Japanese cop!"
The subordinate's voice no longer reached him.
Everything aligned.
Augusto felt his resolve harden as he turned to leave, his former subordinate’s shouts beginning to hurl against his back.
"Hey! I didn’t mess up! He attacked me as soon as he saw me—stuffed my mouth with a damn bowtie! I didn’t do anything wrong! Hey, Capo! Augusto! You use people like slaves! Get me out of here!"
The case was unraveled one revelation after another, exposing Clan Gello's collaborators within the police force. It was as if the entire city had undergone a massive, sweeping cleanup. People whispered in hushed tones, and gradually, a calm settled over everything. Life returned to its usual rhythm, and there was even a sense of lightness in the air.
Nathan removed all the cameras and bugs that had been planted in his home. It brought a feeling of immense relief, as though a weight had been lifted from his shoulders, and for the first time in a while, he felt truly free. Yet, a faint sense of unease lingered in the pit of his stomach.
"Clan Gello Dismantled! Where is Capo Augusto?"
That headline on the front page of the newspaper reflected Nathan’s own thoughts.
Augusto would no longer be able to operate in this city. Mafia-affiliated businesses were either disappearing or scaling down, and the people who had worked honest jobs were now beginning to walk in the light of day.
The church Leonardo had mentioned.
Nathan visited it alone.
It was the last place touched by the setting sun. The walls were already crumbling, and plants had begun to overrun the structure. He opened the door, revealing rusty iron frames, and stepped onto the wooden floorboards, some of which had holes. Rats scurried away in panic.
Money, hidden in a place like this?
The rotten boards were soft, and if he stepped any further, they would likely break beneath him. He glanced around. The minimal cooking utensils that had once been there were rusted if metal, and rotten if wood. But the smell wasn’t bad, as if the air had been freshly cleaned.
Carefully navigating over stable boards, Nathan moved deeper into the church. Photos lined the walls, mostly of orphans. It must have been a church involved in adoptions.
“Did you find what you were looking for?”
A low voice spoke from behind, and Nathan turned around. His eyes met pale blue ones.
“Augusto...”
"Hey, Nathan. It’s a shame, what happened… history is surprisingly fragile, isn’t it?"
“...Where have you been all this time?”
“I’m free because I have nowhere to go. You know, they say love for a place binds a person to hell. But it’s not just a place. Love makes people weak, in everything. That applies to you, too, doesn’t it? That art buyer made you mess up. You couldn’t get the password…”
“What happened to Livia?”
“She’s a traitor, isn’t she? Well, she was useful enough. Right, Nateo?”
Augusto said Nathan’s nickname in a cold, emotionless voice. He knew. He knew Nathan had betrayed him.
“It’s a pity. I liked you. But it can’t be helped.”
Without any warning or indication, Augusto, as naturally as breathing, pulled the trigger. Three soft gunshots echoed. Nathan had no time to resist.
He looked down at the warm blood flowing from his chest, as if it belonged to someone else. Breathing became difficult, and he collapsed on the spot. Augusto looked down at him, holding a phone.
“Yeah, a hospital? I shot someone. If you leave him, he’ll bleed to death in a few hours. Come pick him up.”
Augusto calmly relayed the location and tossed the phone onto Nathan’s body.
“Don’t think you’ll die peacefully,” came Augusto’s emotionless voice.
Soon, Nathan’s vision faded to black.
"To be continued"→"Cocytus -Ballerina Under the Moonlight" Episode 17
【Notice】
Dear You！thank you from the bottom of my heart for enjoying the story so far!
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