Yulia

Year Four Diary

We followed another lead last night.

It didn't bring us to her—not yet—but for the first time in what feels like an eternity, we found something. Not a rumor, not a ghost, but information. A thread we can pull, something tangible to cling to after years of chasing shadows. It's fragile, yes, and it could still unravel into nothing like so many leads before it. But for now, it's hope.

Italy.

The word feels like a curse and a prayer all at once. The thought that she might have been there, so close to us all this time, feels like a blade twisting in my chest. Italy—our territory, our home. How many times have we walked those streets, held meetings, made deals, lived our lives without realizing she could've been right there? Right under our noses, hidden in plain sight, waiting for us. It's infuriating. It's unbearable. And yet, there's something else—something like relief, or maybe desperation, clawing at my insides.

What if this time, it's real?

Our contact—a man I've known since my early days in Italy—told us something that made the air leave my lungs. He mentioned Xander, Alessandro's brother. Apparently, Xander is meeting with someone tonight. Noah. A name that carries its own weight, its own darkness. Our contact didn't have all the details—he never does—but he let something slip that sent my mind reeling.

There are whispers about her name. Yulia's name.

I couldn't breathe when he said it. I couldn't think. It was like my brain couldn't process the words, couldn't believe them after so long. It felt too big, too impossible. But at the same time, I knew it wasn't. Nothing about this is impossible. If there are whispers in the underworld about her, then she's still alive. She has to be.

We're taking this seriously. Of course we are. Alessandro hasn't stopped pacing since the call came through, his mind already three steps ahead, planning how to approach the meeting without tipping our hand. Matteo is uncharacteristically quiet, his eyes darker than usual, his jaw clenched so tightly I swear he might break his teeth. We've been here before—so close to something, only for it to fall apart—but this feels different.

It has to be different.

The thought of Xander being involved makes my stomach churn. He's blood, yes, but blood has always run cold in Alessandro's family. If Xander knows something about Yulia, and he hasn't told us, I don't know what Alessandro will do. Hell, I don't know what I'll do.

And Noah... That name brings nothing but bile to my throat. He's dangerous, cruel, a man who thrives on control and chaos in equal measure. If he has any connection to Yulia, I can't imagine it's anything good. The idea of her being tied to him in any way makes my blood boil.

We'll watch them tonight. We'll be in the shadows, just like we've been for years now. I don't know what we'll find, but for the first time, I feel like we're moving toward something. And if they're connected to her, if there's even a sliver of truth to the whispers we've heard, then we'll tear their world apart to get her back.

We're not the same men we were when she disappeared. The years have stripped us down, hardened us in ways I didn't think were possible. I've seen it in Alessandro's relentless determination, in Matteo's cold efficiency, and in the reflection of my own hollow eyes. We've burned bridges, lost allies, and walked through fire just to get this far. Matteo, though... Matteo's changed in ways I can't quite articulate. He's quieter than usual, his words clipped and few, but there's this coldness to him now, this edge that wasn't there before. It's not the sharp, fiery anger Alessandro carries. It's something quieter, more terrifying—a promise. A promise that if we find out who's behind this, there won't be a dawn for them to see.