The Black Hall fell silent after the mysterious man appeared, as if time had stopped for a moment as he caught his last breath before being slaughtered.
Serafino (looking at the hooded man coldly):
"You're not one of the players... How did you get onto the table?"
Mysterious Man (in a low, deep voice):
"Because I'm not one of them... I'm the crack in the base, the crack in the wall. I'm the knight who doesn't belong to any color."
Colombo (whispering to Franco):
"This guy... is hacking into Zacrota's system like he's playing a video game. Who is he?"
Marco (smiling, propped up on the table):
"I don't care who he is... What matters is that he's tipped the scales, and that makes it all the more fun!"
**
Calmly, the mysterious man reached out and placed the knight piece on the board. At the same moment, a wave of vibrations rippled across the table, and three chairs suddenly went dark.
Irina (shocked):
"He took three players out of the game... in just one move!"
Savio (whispering to Rocco):
"He's not human... or he's 20 moves smarter than all of us."
Rocco (clenching his grip on his weapon):
"Smarter or not... if he's not with us, he's dangerous."
**
Serafino (advancing toward the table):
"Stop pretending. You won't change the course of the fight with a horse move."
Mysterious Man (looking at him steadily):
"A horse move... is incredible until it's executed. It doesn't go straight, it twists and turns and catches you off guard. Just like I'm going to do to you."
**
At that moment, Columbo receives a notification on his device.
Colombo (raising his eyes):
"Oh no... all of Zacrota's command centers outside the continent... have been disabled. This is impossible."
Irina:
"How? We didn't send any orders!"
Mysterious Man:
"I am the order. I am the mistake that Zacrota never anticipated from its founding."
**
Franco (in a suspicious voice):
"You... are not like us, are you?"
Mysterious Man (silent for a moment, then):
"I am not like you... because I was one of you. The most loyal. Until I discovered the truth."
Marco:
"The truth of what? That Zacrota is a pile of lies? Or that chess is a fool's game?"
Mysterious Man (looking at Franco):
"Zaccrota is not an organization... it's a system... rooted in our minds. In our cities. In our history."
Franco (slowly):
"Who the hell are you...?"
Mysterious Man (slowly removing his mask):
"My name is... Daniel Pato."
**
Franco's body froze. His breath hitched. Everyone's eyes widened in surprise.
Franco (in a throaty whisper):
"Father?"
**
Colombo (stunned):
"But... he died 15 years ago!"
Marco (gasps):
"Oh... we're officially in a science fiction novel now!"
**
Daniel (quietly):
"I didn't die. Zacrota took me... I swapped my memory, but I got it back. And now I'm back... to finish her from the inside out."
Rocco (incredulous):
"Why didn't you contact him? Why did you let him live in the illusion?"
Daniel:
"Because Zacrota was monitoring every heartbeat in my body. Even yesterday. And today... my freedom means their end."
**
Serafino (angrily):
"Sentimental nonsense. He's just an old man with a neat beard!"
Daniel (sharply):
"I'm... the man who will free your son... and kill the ghost that turned you into a monster."
**
Franco (tearful, but smiling bitterly):
"I don't know if I'm dreaming... but you came back just when I needed you."
Daniel (putting his hand on Franco's shoulder):
"Now... let's finish the game together, boy."
**
The sirens start to wail. The table shakes. The chairs disappear. The system collapses.
Colombo (monitoring his device):
"All of Zacrota's systems... are collapsing. It's over!"
Irina:
"We stopped the monster."
**
Serafino (collapsing to his knees):
"No... that's impossible... this..."
Marco (patting his shoulder mockingly):
"Yes... it's the end of the game, my friend."
**
Next chapter: "Under the Ashes... Who's Left?"
Would you like me to start it now?