Page 45 of The Don's Eternal Vows

"You're a coward, Montagna!" she screams, her words a dagger to my heart. "After everything we've been through!"

I stumble, nearly losing my footing. "No," I mutter, steadying myself. "This is the bravest thing I've ever done."

I grit my teeth, channeling my fear into a white-hot rage. "No," I snarl, "It’s not real.”

With a primal scream, I wrench myself forward, tearing free from ghostly hands. "I choose the light," I pant, stumbling ahead. "I choose life.”

The final step stretches before me, each one a battle against every instinct screaming to turn back. My determination hardens like steel. I feel claws digging into my flesh, blood dripping down my forearm. With a surge of adrenaline, I wrench my right arm free.

The souls shriek in frustration, their cries piercing my skull as I take the final step forward. I ignore the pain and tear my left arm loose.

"I love you," I call out, my voice breaking. "Remember that. Always."

And then, with force, I step out and find my way into the light. It’s bright, so very bright that it feels like the sun will burn a hole through my eyes. My heart pounds into my ribs as I stand across the threshold, every fiber of my being screaming to turn back.

The light ahead seems to pulse, a living entity ready to swallow me whole. I clench my fists, nails digging into my palms, anchoring me to reality.

"I can't fail her," I whisper, my voice trembling. "Not now. Not after everything. Please tell me I didn’t make a mistake.”

I’m too afraid to look back, yet I can’t stand in one place. To walk away from her feels like a betrayal, but I tell myself she’s coming. I’m only carving out the path for her.

Suddenly, Genoveva's cries pierce the air. Her voice, raw with anguish, echoes into the distance. I freeze, my blood turning to ice in my veins.

Then, as abruptly as it began, the sound stops. The silence that follows is deafening, pressing against my eardrums with an almost physical force. My breath catches in my throat as the implications of this sudden quiet hit me like a punch to the gut.

"No," I choke out, my voice barely audible even to my ears. "No, no, no."

Despair washes over me in waves, threatening to drown me. I fall to my knees, the cold floor biting into my skin. The silence stretches on, mocking me with its finality. My mind races, replaying every decision, every step that led me here.

"I'm sorry, Genoveva," I whisper into the void, my words heavy with regret and lost hope. "I failed you."

That’s it. Everything I did came to this moment. She’s stopped screaming. She isn’t here. She’s lost to Hades. My mind spins in circles, and I reach a decision.

I must turn back, I think to myself, my resolve a ghost of what it once was. I must ask Hades to take my life here and now. It’s the only way to be reunited with Genoveva.

But then, just as I’m about to succumb to the darkness, a faint whisper brushes against my ears. “We did it. We actually did it, Gianni.”

Chapter 21

Genoveva

As soon as the words leave my mouth, the sudden brightness blinds me. I blink rapidly, trying to make sense of my new surroundings. My arms flail wildly, searching for something to grasp onto in this vast expanse of green.

"Genoveva!" Gianni's voice cuts through my panic. "I've got you. Just breathe."

His strong arms encircle me, steadying my frantic movements. I cling to him, my fingers digging into his shoulders as I struggle to catch my breath.

"Gianni?" I choke out, still disoriented. "How... where are we?"

"We're back," he says, his voice a soothing rumble against my ear.

I nod, unable to form words as I focus on steadying my breathing. Gianni's calm presence anchors me. I find my footing, and when my sight comes back to me, I look around to see we’re surrounded by forest.

How did we escape the Underworld? How did Gianni even find me? Did I dream the whole thing? I want to laugh at the absurdity of it all - here I am, a woman dead and resurrected. Impossible.

I fall to my knees, my fingers sliding over the cool, moist grass below.

"We... we made it," I gasp, my voice raw and unfamiliar.

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