Alia sat on the luxurious sofa in the grand living room, holding a expensive, latest-model smartphone. On the screen was an old photograph a picture from the historic day she married Viktor. The image showed Alia in a massive white gown, with Viktor standing behind her in his regal attire.
Looking at the photo, light tears (Halka pani) welled up in Alia's eyes. Memories swirled around her like a blizzard. At that exact moment, Alexander (who is actually Viktor in disguise) entered the room. Alia quickly wiped her eyes and decided to have some fun (Moja) with him.
Alia turned the phone toward Alexander, a mysterious smile playing on her lips.
Alia: "Look at this girl, Alexander. I was only 17 years old back then when I got married. Can you believe it? Only seventeen!"
Alexander stood frozen, staring at the photo. The Viktor in the picture and the Alexander of today there was a vast gap of time between them, yet the feeling remained the same.
Alia: (Smiling mischievously) "Even though I was only seventeen, I was quite tall back then, wasn't I? Everyone used to be surprised. Actually, I wasn't just an ordinary human. After the DNA tests, everyone realized what strange power and nobility were hidden inside me. I've been a mystery since birth."
Alia looked directly into Alexander's eyes, as if trying to pierce through the man hidden behind the disguise.
Alia: "Viktor was a cruel man, but he knew how to protect a princess. Can you do that, Alexander? Or are you just limited to your expensive wine and weapons?"
Hearing her words, Alexander felt a shiver deep inside. The way Alia was intertwining her past and present made him wonder if she knew everything and was simply pretending not to.
Alexander: "You might have been tall at seventeen, Alia, but now you are far more dangerous. And regardless of what the DNA reports say, to me, you are an indomitable writer whose every word strikes my heart."
Alia looked back at the photo on her phone. The seventeen-year-old girl had become a chess player, waiting to checkmate her king. The atmosphere in the room suddenly turned electric. As Alexander (Viktor) stared at the photo of his younger self on Alia's phone, the weight of the memories and the sight of her tears made him lose his grip on his persona. For a split second, the cold, calculated mask of 'Alexander' vanished.
Alexander: (Blurting it out impulsively) "Hey, that's me!"
The words hung in the air, heavy and undeniable. Alia's eyes widened, and she slowly lowered the phone, a triumphant yet shocked expression crossing her face. The silence that followed was deafening.
Alia: (In a sharp, piercing whisper) "What did you just say? You... you said that's you?"
Alexander froze. His heart hammered against his ribs like a trapped bird. He realized his massive blunder instantly. In his head, the voice of the real Viktor was screaming.
Viktor (to himself): "Damn it! I'm caught! I completely walked into that one. How could I be so careless?"
He took a slow, deep breath, trying to scramble for a recovery, but he could see in Alia's eyes that the seed of truth had already been planted. He looked away for a moment, his jaw tightening, before looking back at her with a mix of frustration and hidden intensity.
Alexander: (Trying to play it off with a shaky laugh) "I... I meant, that looks exactly like me. The resemblance is uncanny, isn't it? I sometimes feel like I'm living in that man's shadow."
Alia didn't buy it for a second. She stood up from the sofa, the expensive phone still clutched in her hand, and stepped toward him until she was inches away from his chest.
Alia: "A slip of the tongue usually reveals the heart's truth, Alexander. Or should I call you by your real name now? You were 23, I was 17... you were the King, I was the mystery. Tell me, how long did you think you could hide behind those sunglasses?"
Alexander stood his ground, but the intensity in his eyes gave him away. He was caught, and both of them knew that from this moment on, nothing would ever be the same.The heavy silence in the room broke as Viktor let out a strange, mysterious laugh. He realized that since the mask of his disguise had slipped, there was no point in lying anymore. He stepped closer to Alia and began to speak in a low, gravelly voice.
Viktor: "You are still as stubborn as ever, Alia. But you're getting one thing wrong. You said you were 17 and I was 23? No... neither of us truly knows our real age."
Alia knitted her brows in confusion. She felt as if Viktor was weaving yet another maze of words.
Alia: "What are you talking about? Have you forgotten your own age?"
Viktor sighed and pulled out his expensive lighter, but this time, he didn't light a cigarette. He looked deep into Alia's eyes and spoke with grave intensity.
Viktor: "The truth is actually quite embarrassing and strange. I have no birth certificate, and neither do you. Don't you know the unwritten rules of the mafia world? For those of us born into this dark empire, no official records are ever kept. Our identity exists only in our power and our blood."
Alia listened in stunned silence. The truth in Viktor's words sent a chilling shiver down her spine.
Viktor: "Those born in the shadows have no existence on paper. We have no birthdays, no legal identities. Whether it's seventeen or twenty-three—these are just numbers for the outside world. We are people existing outside of time."
Alia finally understood why so many of her childhood memories were blurred. The mystery of that strange DNA report also started to make sense. The harsh and cruel rules of the mafia world had bound them togetherwhere they had a birth, but no proof of it.
Alia: "So... we are effectively no one? We have no past?"
Viktor gently tilted Alia's chin up. His blue eyes held a sense of ancient nobility.
Viktor: "On paper, we are no one. But in this empire, we are everything. Now tell me, Alia are you ready to write a new history with this nameless King?"When Alia said this, a flash of surprise crossed Viktor's (Alexander's) blue eyes. The atmosphere in the room shifted once again this time, it wasn't about tricks, but a profound truth they were both facing.
Alia looked directly into Viktor's eyes and said very calmly
Alia: "You may have your mafia rules, Viktor, and your lack of birth certificates... but some truths of life can never be erased. I remember clearly I became a mother at just 18 years old. And today, I have five children. Becoming a mother, giving birth to them these feelings aren't written on any paper document, but they are woven into my blood and my very existence."
Viktor remained silent for a moment. A different kind of nobility appeared on his face. He gently took Alia's hand in his own.
Viktor: "The responsibility of five children at the age of eighteen... Alia, you aren't just a mysterious woman; you are the name of an invincible force. Not having a birth certificate in the mafia world might hide our existence from society, but these five children are the true records of your and my future. They are the heirs to our shadows."
Alia didn't pull her hand away. Instead, she tried to find her identity in the depths of Viktor's eyes.
Alia: "I've told you before, I cannot be an ordinary human. Because a woman who can be a mother of five at eighteen and still point a gun at a powerful man like you is anything but ordinary. These children are my identity, the real proof of my DNA."
Alexander or rather, Viktor realized then that Alia wasn't just a writer or his wife; she was the mother of an empire whose depth he could not measure alone. Alia laughed at Viktor's words, but there was a strange sense of authority in her laughter. She brought her face close to Alexander's (Viktor's) eyes and said playfully
Alia: "You've gone completely crazy! Just because there's no birth certificate doesn't mean you forget how to count. Listen, I am 24 now, and you are 29. That is our reality, okay?"
Viktor was stunned for a moment. Caught in Alia's confident gaze and her scent, he seemed to lose all his logic. He scratched his head and gave a shy, "caught-in-the-act" kind of smile.
Viktor: "Oh! I really mixed everything up. While talking about seventeen and twenty-three, I completely forgot the real calculation. You're right 24 and 29. You are still so young, yet this 29-year-old Don stands defeated by your wit."
Alia leaned back comfortably on the sofa. Setting her expensive phone on the table, she looked at Viktor and winked.
Alia: "Whatever the age, remember this 24-year-old woman is the mother of your five children and the key to all your secrets. Now, will the Great lord listen to me for a moment?"
Viktor adjusted his disguised glasses. He realized that controlling Alia or keeping secrets from her was impossible. This girl wasn't just his wife; she was the greatest mastermind of his life.