Ultimate Mafia System

Chapter 46 - A Friend

The sun dipped low on the horizon as Luca made his way through the familiar path, his heart full of uncertainty. He approached the graveyard, where rows of solemn tombstones stood as silent sentinels in the fading light.

Finding Matteo's grave wasn't difficult; it was etched into his memory like a scar. The marble marker, weathered by time and elements, bore the name he had mourned for a decade. Luca knelt before it, his fingers tracing the engraved letters as if seeking solace in their cold permanence.

'Matteo - A cherished friend.'

"Matteo," he whispered, his voice barely audible above the rustle of leaves in the evening breeze. "I thought you were gone... but now..."

His words trailed off into the silence, lost in the vastness of his own disbelief. How could Matteo be alive after all this time? And why did he choose to reveal himself now, stirring the embers of a past long buried?

Returning home felt surreal, the mundanity of daily life contrasted against the extraordinary revelation he carried within. Giulia's laughter drifted from the kitchen, and Paolo as usual was studying.

"Luca, you're back!" Giulia greeted him with a warm smile, her eyes crinkling at the corners with genuine affection.

"Hey, Luca," Paolo chimed in, his voice distracted as he glanced up from his books. "How was your day?"

"Long," Luca replied, mustering a smile that felt more like a grimace. He shuffled past them, the weight of his secret dragging at his heels like chains.

After freshening up, Luca sank into the couch, exhaustion settling into his bones as he replayed the day's events in his mind. Giulia noticed his distant gaze, her brow furrowing with concern.

"Luca, is everything alright?" she asked, her voice gentle but insistent.

Taking a deep breath, Luca knew there was no avoiding it any longer. He owed them the truth, as daunting as it may be.

"Something... unexpected happened today," he began, his voice tinged with uncertainty. "I saw Matteo."

Giulia and Paolo exchanged puzzled glances, their expressions mirroring the confusion swirling within Luca's own mind.

"Matteo?" Paolo repeated, "Out Matteo?" his brow furrowing in disbelief. "But... he's..."

"Alive," Luca finished for him, the weight of the revelation hanging heavy in the air. "He's alive, and he's back."

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The next day dawned with a sense of anticipation tinged with apprehension as Matteo accompanied Luca to meet Giulia and Paolo. They approached Luca's home, Luca's steps purposeful yet hesitant, while Matteo walked beside him with a calm demeanor that belied the storm of emotions brewing within.

As they entered the cozy living room, Giulia and Paolo looked up from their respective activities, their expressions shifting from curiosity to shock as their eyes landed on Matteo.

"Matteo, meet our old friends, Giulia and Paolo," Luca introduced, his voice steady despite the tremor of uncertainty that lingered beneath the surface.

A stunned silence descended upon the room as Matteo regarded Giulia and Paolo, their faces etched with disbelief and confusion. He felt the weight of their scrutiny, the weight of a past he didn't know.

"Are you really Matteo?" Giulia's voice broke the silence, her words echoing the unspoken question that hung in the air.

Matteo hesitated, his heart pounding in his chest as he grappled with the truth that lay on the precipice of his tongue.

'Now is the time to confess.....or along with it. There is no going back if I do this.'

Lyra's words echoed in Matteo's mind. '.....Let it go now.'

Matteo looks at Luca then back at Giulia "I guess I am. I don't remember though. Maybe you guys can help me get some of my memories back."

Tears welled up in Paolo and Giulia's eyes, their emotions raw and unfiltered as they processed the revelation before them. Matteo's admission hung in the air, a fragile bridge between past and present, between what was lost and what could still be found.

"Can I hug you?" Paolo's voice trembled with emotion, his vulnerability a stark contrast to the stoicism he typically exuded.

A soft smile tugged at Matteo's lips as he extended his arms, embracing Paolo in a gesture of acceptance and understanding. "You can," he whispered.

For Matteo, the choice to keep up the act wasn't without its moral dilemmas. He understood that every laugh shared, every secret whispered, would be made from the fabric of untruth.

Yet, as he navigated the maze of his life, he realized that the person he used to be had become a ghost, a memory of a past self that could never return.

And so, with a resigned acceptance, Matteo decided to fully accept the pretense. He pledged his loyalty to Luca, Giulia, and Paolo, creating a bond of friendship from the strands of falsehood.

In this strange mix-up of circumstances, he found comfort in the company of those who thought he was someone he wasn't.

Matteo convinced himself that his worthiness as a friend lay not in his true identity, but rather in his actions. He almost hypnotized himself into believing that he truly was the original Matteo, stripped of his memories.

By immersing himself fully in the role he had assumed, Matteo blurred the lines between reality and fabrication. In his mind's eye, he constructed a narrative where his actions defined his essence, rather than the authenticity of his being.

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As they stepped out of Luca's home, the weight of the day's revelations still heavy upon them, Luca turned to Matteo with a determined expression.

"Matteo, I've been thinking," Luca began, his voice tinged with earnestness.

Matteo regarded him with a quizzical look, silently urging him to continue.

"You have seen Giulia and Paolo right? They are kids man, I want to be there for them, to protect them," Luca explained, his words carrying the weight of years of unspoken fears and unfulfilled responsibilities. "The world has never been kind to us, especially as orphans. I've always felt it was my duty to shield them from its cruelty, but now... now I realize that you, Matteo, are better equipped to keep them safe."

Matteo's brows furrowed slightly as he processed Luca's words, a mixture of surprise and understanding flickering across his features.

"You want to join me?" Matteo clarified, seeking confirmation.

Luca nodded, his resolve unwavering. "Yes."

A sense of solidarity washed over Matteo as he looked into Luca's eyes, seeing the determination and sincerity reflected there.

"Welcome aboard,"