Chương 51: Too Curious for Your Own Good

Luca woke up to a cold room and the sound of rain against the window. His head hurt, and the day ahead already felt too long, like the world was trying to compress too much into a space meant for sleep and quiet. The sheets were tangled around his legs from a restless night. He'd been dreaming about data again. The kind of dreams where numbers kept shifting, and no matter how he tried, he couldn't map the pattern.

It always left him frustrated, like he was on the edge of understanding something that would break everything open. He rubbed at his eyes, trying to make the headache go away. The rain outside had soaked the early morning sky gray, and it made the city outside his window feel like a place under siege. Which it was. The System hadn't released another Scenario announcement yet, but the whole building was humming with preparation. He pushed himself out of bed and threw on the clothes he'd left on the chair.

Pants and a button-up that needed ironing. His sister was somewhere downstairs, probably in the small kitchenette near their wing of the Palazzo, making coffee and pretending she wasn't counting down the hours until the next Scenario hit. She was handling it better than he'd expected, but he still wished she were anywhere but here. Recently, she started going out with Dario, taking trips to meet with people the organization was recruiting.

Luca still wasn't sure if that made things better or worse, but it made him feel a little guilty every time he stayed up all night, and she went to her room early. Like he should be the one taking her on those trips, not a guy like Dario. Cecilia was using her as leverage, he was sure of it, and there wasn't much he could say about it. He ran his hands through his hair a few times, sighed, and walked down the narrow stairs to find her.

Iris was sitting at the kitchen table, nursing a mug of coffee and looking out the window at the rain. She had one of Dario's jackets draped over her shoulders, too big, the sleeves rolled up. When she saw him, her expression softened the same way it had when they were kids and he'd had a bad day at school.

"Morning," she said.

"Morning." He went to the machine and poured a cup, the rich smell filling the kitchen and cutting through some of the fog in his head.

"You're up early."

"You're always up late."

"Working late. Not the same." She rolled her eyes and sipped her coffee.

"Dario's coming by later to take me around again. Apparently, there's some meeting with traders in Lingotto who want to cut a deal for food shipments."

"Be careful."

"I am. Stop worrying so much." She tilted her head, her gaze more curious now.

"You're the one who looks like you've been up all night." She looked down at her cup, tracing the rim with one finger.

"Is it... about last time? When you closed the portal?" He paused with his coffee halfway to his lips. He didn't want to talk about it, and of course, Iris was the one person who'd ask anyway. He forced himself to sit down at the table, taking a breath. If he couldn't talk to her about what was happening, who could he talk to?

"Yes."

"How does it work? The portal thing?" She leaned forward like she was afraid she'd miss something if she didn't.

"Do you just... think it shut, or is there something you do, like casting a spell?" He shook his head, almost a laugh, and tried to find the right words.

"It's not like a spell. It's more like... reading a blueprint. Everything around us is connected by structure. Some of it's really old, like the way the streets flow. Some of it's new, made by the System. When you know where the stresses are, you can push, and the System has to adjust. When I closed the portal, I just pushed where the System's own pattern was weakest." She was listening so intently, like it made perfect sense.

"And does it feel... right?"

"What?" She shifted a little, like she didn't want to explain herself.

"I mean... do you feel like you're supposed to be doing it? Using those powers. It's not like when we were kids, and Mom told us not to touch the stuff in the shed." Her voice went a little tight on that last part, the memory of when they were small, playing around the back of the house, sneaking into their dad's tool chest and cutting their hands on something sharp.

The same night, some of his father's associates had visited the house to talk business, and their mom had made them hide in the basement until morning. It hadn't felt dangerous back then. Not to him. It had just felt normal. Now, Iris's question seemed heavier, like she was asking if he was still that kid, just playing at something more dangerous than he knew.

"Maybe," he said slowly.

"It feels like it was always supposed to be part of me. But... I'm not sure I'm the one controlling it, or if I'm just figuring out what the System already knew I'd do." She stared at him, then gave a small, nervous smile.

"You sound like one of the bad guys in a game. The ones who figure out how to break the system because they were too smart for their own good."

"Maybe that's what I am now."

"Don't say that." Her tone was sharp for a second, then softened as she reached across the table and put her hand over his.

"You're not the bad guy. You're just the guy who's too curious for your own good. It's different." He smiled, because he couldn't help it, and squeezed her fingers once.

"You're not wrong about the curiosity part." She let go and picked up her mug again, glancing at the rain.

"So what happens now? Do you think they'll send you out with Bianca again? For the big one?" The big one. That's what she called the next scenario that was coming. Like it was a season finale or something. It made him feel lighter, to hear her say it like it wasn't going to be life or death.

"I don't know. Probably." He sipped his coffee.

"We've been trying to predict where the next major targets are, but it's always messier than it seems." She nodded and stood up.

"Just... stay behind someone with a gun, alright? You're too valuable to the Family to get killed off."

"I know." He watched her as she took their mugs to the sink, rinsing them out. He could see the weight on her shoulders, too. She wasn't just talking about him, even if she didn't want to admit it. She was worried, too. Maybe for both of them. She hadn't wanted to get wrapped up in all this, but now it was too late, and she was stuck with him.

"I'll be careful," he said, even though it felt hollow.

"Good. And I will too." She smiled, and it looked real, but strained.

"Now finish your coffee and go save the world with spreadsheets, like you do." She left the kitchen, leaving him alone with his thoughts. He stared at the rain outside, trying not to imagine what it would look like when the next city-wide event rolled through. And tried not to wonder what he would do when he got his hands on something bigger and more dangerous than a simple portal. The morning shifted into work mode the second he stepped into the analysis office.

Ermilio was already there, hunched over a new set of papers, a pen caught in his hair, his mouth moving slightly while he read. Giulia sat next to him, highlighting points on a physical map of Turin. Ivan was in the corner with his back to them, headphones on, ignoring everything while he went through his notes like he could find the right pattern if he just kept staring.

Luca sat down and pulled up his screen, opening the last few threads of discussion from the global boards and scanning through new comments that had popped up in the last few hours. This novel's true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

"Morning, chief," Ermilio said without looking up, still absorbed.

"Don't call me that."

"Why not? Cecilia's the boss. You're the chief nerd. It fits." Luca frowned, but didn't bother answering. He didn't need that kind of attention, even if it was mostly in good fun. His job was to keep their focus sharp and the predictions accurate. Everything else was a distraction.

"What's the update?" he asked, typing a reply on one of the forums, looking for the newest leads. Ermilio finally looked up, pushing his chair back.

"We're sure the city-wide Scenario is coming tomorrow or the next day. There's a spike in spawn anomalies along the rail yards out near the Lingotto. Some kind of staging point, I think. It's definitely getting ready for something bigger than the last ones." Luca clicked through to the internal log where Bianca had recorded their most recent sortie into the streets, confirming the intel. Giulia glanced up from her map.

"If the System is focusing there, that's the same area the factory workers were talking about evacuating. They've been seeing more monster patrols there for the past few nights." Luca nodded. They were seeing a pattern now. The System was setting up for an event, and it had chosen its battleground. If they could pinpoint the entry points before the battle began, they'd have a massive advantage over the other Players who were scrambling to catch up.

"Do we have any sighting data from other Players in the area?" he asked.

"Some," Giulia said, sliding a few printouts across the desk.

"But it's hard to trust. Some of them are definitely exaggerating to make themselves look important." Luca picked up the reports and skimmed. Names he recognized. Groups that had survived a few encounters, and were now getting loud about their power on the boards. He'd need to figure out how many of them actually posed a threat, but there wasn't time to vet them all before the next Scenario started. He dropped the papers and turned to his screen.

"We'll let the family enforcers handle most of them. We need to focus on the System's actual moves, not every Player who thinks they can control a city block."

"Speaking of," Ermilio said, swiveling his chair around.

"When are we going into the field again? Bianca took us once. It might be good to go in with a bit more direct intel. I can handle it." Giulia raised her hand.

"I don't want to fight. But I'd like to observe, if that's okay." Luca hesitated. He didn't feel good about putting them at risk again, but Ermilio was right. They needed more on-the-ground data if they were going to be ahead of the next curve. Plus, being near monster activity let their classes gain experience, making them more useful overall.

"Yeah. Alright. Let's gear up." He sent a quick message to Bianca through the internal channel the Family had set up, telling her they were going to move toward the rail yards. She responded in minutes, giving him the name of a warehouse they could use as an outpost. By noon, they were packed up and ready, Luca feeling the weight of his backpack filled with supplies he'd never needed before, and wishing he didn't have to carry a pistol on his hip.

But Cecilia had insisted after the last run, so he did as he was told. Iris had shown up as they were leaving, just to see him off, looking like she wanted to say more but didn't know how to start. He'd just hugged her and promised he'd call if things got bad. Now, walking beside Ermilio, Ivan, and Giulia toward the warehouse, Luca felt like he was playing his part, doing what was necessary, even if it didn't feel natural yet.

"Just stay close to the others," he said, more for himself than for the others.

"And keep your eyes on the structures, not just the monsters."

"Already on it," Ivan mumbled, his gaze already scanning the horizon like he could see the pattern forming before it even arrived. Inside the warehouse, Bianca was waiting with Dario. It was a mix of serious business and casual banter, which seemed to be how they always were together. Bianca wore her usual black outfit, knives visible where most people would have worn a gun. Dario leaned against the crates in the back, looking like he was just waiting for a drink and not planning to kill things before dinner.

"You're all here." Dario pushed off the crates and stepped forward.

"Good. Now let's make this quick." Bianca walked over to Luca and the team, her eyes cool, but there was a hint of something softer when she spoke to him.

"Stick with me. We're not here to make friends." He nodded, not surprised, but still not entirely comfortable with how much she expected him to step up. He glanced at the rest of the team and saw they were feeling the same weight of expectation.

"We'll observe and record," he said quietly, more for their reassurance than hers.

"Nothing more." They moved out as soon as the last checks were done, taking to the narrow back roads that snaked toward the rail yards. The day was overcast, still wet with rain from the night before. Luca didn't see any monsters at first. Just abandoned buildings and graffiti, the same as any other part of the city. But as they got closer to the yards, he noticed movement in the shadows, small creatures scouting like they were getting ready for something larger.

He activated his HUD and focused on his skills, trying to feel the way the System's patterns flowed. The pressure in the air changed as they approached a line of warehouses, and his instincts kicked in, letting him see how the structures around them could support—or break under—the stress of a coming Scenario. LOAD-BEARING. It was there in his mind, a kind of blueprint overlaying everything he saw. He marked the points in his head without thinking, and as he did, Ivan next to him whispered, "I can feel it coming.

East side. Multiple sources. Ten, maybe twelve minutes." Bianca signaled them to stop behind a stack of crates that overlooked the tracks. Dario came up beside Luca, watching the space like he already knew what was about to happen.

"This is where they'll come from?" he asked, his voice low. Luca nodded.

"The spawn point's just beyond the third rail line. We'll be in range when it opens." Dario pulled out a small pair of binoculars and scanned the area.

"Good. Let's see who else is paying attention." The waiting felt like hours, even though it wasn't. The quiet was heavy, broken only by distant sounds of the city. Then the sound started, a low hum in the air that made the metal around them vibrate. It was the System getting ready. Luca could see the distortion begin, shimmering waves of heat over the tracks, and then the first crack. It widened, and creatures began to spill out.

Unlike the Scenario portals, this one winked out of existence after releasing only a few. He counted them quickly. Five creatures. Small, low-level types, but there was something about them that didn't fit the earlier patterns. Smarter. More organized. He pulled his camera out, keeping his breathing steady, recording while Ivan marked down the time and location. Giulia stayed back, her eyes wide, while Ermilio whispered his own observations into a handheld.

Bianca moved like the threat was nothing, signaling them to stay in place while she and Dario checked the perimeter. Luca zoomed in on the nearest creature, watching its behavior. It looked like some sort of reptilian humanoid, its eyes too sharp to be mindless. It paused, scanning, like it knew where it was and what it wanted. Then, from the opposite side of the yard, other figures appeared. Players. A group of them, moving together, better armed than the ones Luca had seen before.

Three in the front, two at the rear, all of them dressed like they had taken the apocalypse as an excuse to upgrade their wardrobes. The fight started fast, no negotiation, no hesitation. The Players took the monsters by surprise, cutting through two of them before they even reacted. The rest fought back, quick and savage, but it was over in seconds, the monsters down and the Players already looking for loot. Luca kept recording, his focus shifting from the dead monsters to the Players themselves.

They didn't look like any gang he'd heard about, but their coordination was too precise to be amateurs. As they moved to finish off the last of the creatures, Bianca and Dario stepped out from cover.

"Didn't your parents tell you not to take what doesn't belong to you?" Dario called out, his voice light, the kind that sounded friendly until it didn't. The Players turned fast, weapons coming up, though they only had blades and a couple of crossbows. No guns. Not rich or connected enough, Luca guessed. Bianca had her knives ready, relaxed, like she didn't care how many of them were aiming at her.

"Just passing through," one of the Players said, his grip tight on a broadsword that didn't look real until the light caught the sharp edge.

"You can take your cut if you want. We don't have time to argue." Dario smiled, spreading his hands.

"See, this is where you misunderstand. It's not about time. It's about courtesy. You're on our territory."

"You don't own the rail yards," the woman at his side snapped. She was young, maybe in her twenties, and wearing an armored coat that was probably worth more than some of the cars on the street. Dario shook his head, still smiling.

"We don't own them. We manage them. And we haven't had the pleasure of managing you yet."

"Is that a threat?"

"No," Bianca cut in, her voice quiet but sharp as glass.

"It's just business." The Players exchanged looks, and Luca could see them weighing their options, knowing they were already at a disadvantage. Then the leader made the smart decision. He backed up, lowering his sword.

"We'll go. No trouble."

"Good call," Dario said, stepping aside to let them pass.

"Pleasure doing business with you. We'll see you around." He said it like it was a sure thing they would meet again, which was the kind of threat that hung in the air. When the Players were gone, Bianca moved to the dead monsters, crouching down to search for System loot. Luca turned off his camera and sighed. The adrenaline in his chest felt like it was pressing too hard. Ermilio clapped him on the shoulder.

"That's it? That's all the action?"

"They weren't here to fight us," Ivan said, already reviewing the footage from his tablet.

"They were trying to clean out these monsters before the Scenario gets bad. It was an opportunistic raid."

"Yeah." Luca nodded, watching Dario kick at one of the dead creatures with his foot.

"It's better not to normalize killing people, even if it's against other Players. I'm sure Cecilia would say so."

"She'd just tell you not to get caught," Bianca called over, looking back at him from where she worked. Luca looked at her for a moment, then sighed, because he knew she was right.