Page 7 of The Don's Deadly Assassin

What if I have sent her into further danger? The thought torments me, even as reason dictates that this was our only viable course of action.

"May the gods watch over you, Calliope," I murmur as the ship is about to disappear on the horizon. Touching my cheek, where she kissed me last, I yearn to remain connected to her. It’s the distance between us that bothers me, I tell myself. Neptune won’t hurt the innocents…

And then, scarce moments before the ship is to vanish from sight, the heavens themselves seem to revolt. Dark clouds gather with unnatural swiftness, blotting out the stars as they converge overhead.

A sudden and violent storm engulfs the vessel, sending waves crashing against its hull with a force that echoes like thunder.

"By the gods," I gasp, watching in horror as the tempestuous sea tosses the ship about like a plaything. "Calliope!" Her name is swallowed by the roar of the wind.

"Neptune! Father, hear me!" I cry, imploring the deity who holds dominion over these treacherous waters. Yet my pleas go unanswered; nay, the storm seems only to intensify, mocking my anguish as it tears the ship asunder.

"Calliope, no!" My heart rends within my chest as the vessel capsizes from the relentless onslaught, dragged beneath the churning waves along with all those aboard. The sea reclaims them, leaving nothing but the carnage of floating wood in their wake.

"Neptune, why have you forsaken me?" I scream into the fury, my words lost upon the gale. “First my mother, now my lover?”

I fall to my knees, helpless to do aught but watch as the chaos and devastation unfold before me. "Why, Father? Why have you allowed this tragedy to befall her?"

There’s no response. He’s telling me this was my failure.

"Forgive me, Calliope," I whisper through my tears, the wind relentlessly lashing at my face as if to punish me further.

2016: Professor Julian Castellano

I plunge into the dark depths of the Tyrrhenian Sea, my lungs burning as I kick deeper. My flashlight only illuminates what lies right ahead. It’s jarringly cold, and the fish look tired and discontent.

This section of the sea is not a popular spot for amateurs like myself. There is not much marine life. The expert divers choose more tropical waters. And yet, I like the quiet and darkness. It makes me feel alive.

Just then, my leg hits something hard. I almost choke and look down, thinking it might be a sunken shipping container.

Never, in a million years, did I expect to find an undiscovered shipwreck. As a historian, I know every shipwreck in the Italian waters. Never has one been declared in this corner of the Tyrrhenian.

I almost forget to breathe as I flap my arms down, inverting my body to take me deeper. Schools of fish scatter as my light pierces the inky blackness. The pressure squeezes my body as I descend further.

I land softly on the sea floor, stirring up sediment that has lain undisturbed for centuries. My heart races with excitement. I glide over rock and coral, sweeping my light across the remains of the once-grand ship.

Wood planks jut at odd angles, encrusted with barnacles. Fragments of ancient pottery are strewn about.

I pick up a ceramic shard and turn it over in my glove. The geometric patterns are unmistakably Minoan—proof that this wreckage dates back between 1600 and 1400 BC. "Incredible," I murmur into my regulator.

After decades of searching, I've finally discovered it - a ship from the height of the Minoan civilization.

My mind floods with questions. Who were the passengers, and what befell their ship that it came to rest here on the seafloor? What was the purpose behind their voyage? I feel excited when I think of the many secrets that may be unlocked with further study.

I'm trembling, but this time, it's not from the cold. I'm on the verge of a discovery that will change how we interpret history.

I continue searching the rubble, my heart pounding with anticipation.

My light catches on something bright, nestled between two coral heads. I swim closer, excitement pulsing through me. It's an object that seems untouched by time, not encrusted or eroded.

As I draw near, I see it - a golden arrow glinting and flawless. It must be real gold for it to hold its shine this long, without a speck of rust. My breath catches. Its polished surface and elegant craftsmanship are mesmerizing.

I reach out a trembling hand to grasp it. The moment I touch it, a shock courses through me as if it carries some ancient energy.

I hold the arrow gently, astonished by its pristine state. It lies, light as a feather, across my palm. How has it remained so perfectly preserved all these centuries? What significance did it hold to end up here amidst the sunken relics of a lost civilization?

I’m ecstatic, but I know I must keep this discovery secret for now. Carefully, I tuck the golden arrow into a pouch for safekeeping. I will examine it more closely once I return to my private study. For now, it will remain my precious secret, a good luck charm from the depths.

I secure the pouch on my belt and continue exploring the ancient shipwreck, my mind abuzz with curiosity about my remarkable find. As I swim through the underwater ruins, I brush against a broken clay jar, dislodging a small stone scroll.

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