Back to Home [part 1]

**Into the Darkness of the Night**

With the bag of winnings in hand, the nanny and I walked away from the stand, leaving behind the thickening darkness and the swindler fading into nothingness.

The weight of the money and jewels in the bag seemed almost negligible compared to the weight of the expectations and machinations I knew were already forming in the nanny's mind.

Every step that brought us closer to our rooms was accompanied by a silence that seemed to amplify every thought, every possible future scenario.

The corridors leading to our quarters were cold, the stone walls were like silent witnesses to the massacre that had just taken place.

The torches cast dancing shadows that seemed to want to envelop us, advancing and retreating with a disturbing movement, as if they were alive and eager to touch our flesh, to grasp our spirits.

We finally reached our rooms, two identical doors separated by a short corridor.

We stopped in front of the doors, our shadows stretching along the walls like spectral figures.

The nanny turned to me, her eyes filled with a meaning that did not need to be expressed in words.

"This night was only the beginning," she said, her voice a nearly imperceptible whisper, but carrying a weight that seemed to bear down on every fiber of my being.

"Tomorrow, once we return home, we will resume your training and you can continue with your routine."

I nodded, aware that behind the nanny's calm exterior lay a mind that was always active, always calculating.

I didn't respond because there was nothing to say.

What had been sown that night would soon sprout, and the roots of that new power would run deep.

As I entered my room, the heavy bag in my hands, the door closed behind me with a faint creak that echoed in the quiet.

The room was simple, with few furnishings and a single torch to light the sparse surroundings.

I placed the bag on a small wooden table and shed my armor, letting the cold of the night seep into my bones.

But it was not a cold that bothered me.

I threw myself onto the bed, allowing the fatigue of the battle to settle over me.

But as sleep began to descend on me like a shroud, I knew that the nanny would not sleep.

Not yet.

**The Truth in the Shadows**

In the room next door, the nanny sat on a dark wooden chair beside a small writing desk.

The torchlight cast long shadows on the walls, making them appear like tentacles of darkness ready to swallow everything.

Without haste, she pulled out a thin sheet of parchment and a quill dipped in black ink.

Her gaze was focused, every movement measured, as if she were handling something infinitely precious and dangerous at the same time.

With fluid movements, she began to write.

Her words were precise, cold as the ink on the parchment, and conveyed the truth of what had happened in the Battle Royale.

She described the ferocity with which Schadet Oporitorco had destroyed his opponents, his methodical brutality, and above all, his growing independence, that spark of power that threatened to break the yoke she had forged.

The report was not long, but every word was carefully chosen, meant to strike like a sharp blade.

She knew that Ryushin Chi, the man to whom the message was directed, did not settle for unnecessary details.

He wanted the bare, raw truth, and the nanny knew how to deliver it in the most useful and strategic way possible.

With the message concluded, she sealed it with red wax, imprinting the Colosseum's symbol on the closure.

Then she stood up and walked towards the open window.

The night was cold and dark, but for her, it was just an extension of her own will.

A raven waited on the windowsill, its feathers black as the night itself.

The nanny handed it the message, stroking its feathers with a gesture that was both affectionate and full of control.

The raven cawed once before taking flight into the darkness, the message securely clutched in its talons.

The nanny watched the bird disappear into the night, her gaze cold as ice.

She knew that Ryushin Chi would read her report carefully, analyzing every word, pondering every possibility.

But she was sure he would understand the subtext, the subtle note of warning she had woven into the lines.

**The Silence Before the Storm**

She closed the window, letting the night reclaim its dominion outside.

She returned to her bed but did not extinguish the torch.

She knew that sleep would not come easily that night, not with all the thoughts swirling in her mind.

The words she had written to Ryushin Chi had been carefully chosen, but the most difficult part was yet to come: waiting for his response, waiting to see how he would react to what she had described.

She could have delivered a verbal report, using a method to contact him directly now, but she preferred to be sure that no one could listen in.

Closing her eyes, the nanny immersed herself in silent reflection, preparing for what was to come.

Every battle was a step forward, another rung in the climb to power.

And now, as the raven flew towards its destination, she knew that dawn would bring new challenges, new opportunities, and perhaps new threats.

In that silence, with the torch still burning faintly, the nanny waited.

She waited with the patience of a predator, knowing that destiny was in motion, and that she was ready to seize it with both hands.

But that night, at least for a few hours, the Colosseum remained silent, and only the shadows continued to move, dancing to a symphony that only they could hear.

**The Raven's Call**

In the depths of the night, when even the quietest whispers seem to vanish into nothingness, Ryushin Chi was in one of his private sanctuaries, a place inaccessible to anyone else.

The walls were lined with dark velvets and draped with symbols of ancient traditions, a blend of lost customs and arcane power.

At the center of the room, a brazier cast a faint, flickering light, filling the air with the pungent scent of burning herbs mixed with incense.

It was a place for reflection and calculation, where every detail was weighed with meticulous attention.

Ryushin Chi sat on an elaborately carved chair, his slender fingers tapping lightly on the wooden armrest.

His face, partially illuminated by the flames of the brazier, remained largely shrouded in shadow, with his eyes half-closed in deep contemplation.

The silence was total, broken only by the crackling of the flames and the occasional sound of a controlled breath.

But that silence was interrupted by the flutter of wings.

A raven, black as pitch, landed on the windowsill of the open window, its beak still wet with night dew.

Ryushin slowly opened his eyes, immediately recognizing the messenger sent to him.

With a fluid gesture of his hand, the raven approached him, dropping the small parchment scroll at his feet.

Ryushin observed the bird for a moment, then bent down to pick up the message, feeling the wax seal beneath his fingers.

He broke it with a precise motion, unrolling the parchment and beginning to read the words written in black ink.

**The Nanny's Report**

As Ryushin Chi read the nanny's report, his gaze became more penetrating; every word that passed under his eyes was analyzed, dissected, and interpreted with the skill of a master strategist.

The description of Schadet Oporitorco that the nanny provided was not just a report; it was a mosaic of signs and warnings, a complex picture that painted a very clear image of what had happened and what could happen in the future.