The war beneath the stars

The sharp, unexpected knock on the door shattered the tense silence in Fabio's blood-soaked home. Artur froze, his hand still gripping the curtain he'd been about to close completely. Fabio, standing amidst the carnage, didn't flinch. His bloodshot eyes remained fixed on the pile of bodies as though he hadn't heard the sound at all.

"Fabio," Artur hissed, his voice low and urgent. "Someone's here."

Fabio finally looked up, his expression unreadable. He wiped his hands on his already stained jeans and took a step toward the door.

Artur stepped in front of him. "Wait! You can't just open it. What if it's them?"

Another knock, louder this time.

"It's not," Fabio muttered, brushing past him.

He opened the door, and there stood a tall, broad-shouldered man whose graying hair and sharp, weathered features spoke of a life lived on the edge. It was his father.

"Fabio," the man said, his tone neutral but his piercing eyes taking in the room behind his son. His gaze lingered on the bloodstains, the broken furniture, and the grotesque pile of bodies in the corner. His lips tightened into a thin line.

"Dad," Fabio replied, his voice steady.

Artur, standing awkwardly a few steps away, stiffened under the man's scrutinizing stare. "Mr. Reis," he stammered, offering a weak nod.

Fabio's father stepped inside without invitation, his boots squelching slightly on the blood-soaked floor. He closed the door behind him with deliberate slowness,his hand lingering on the doorknob. The weight of his silence was suffocating.

"What happened here?" he asked finally, his tone dangerously calm.

Fabio exchanged a brief glance with Artur before answering. "They came for me," he said simply.

His father's eyes narrowed. "And you killed them."

"Yes."

"With your bare hands."

"Yes."

Mr. Reis let out a long breath, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Fabio, do you have any idea what this looks like? This is murder."

"They weren't human anymore," Fabio said, his voice tinged with bitterness. "They were controlled brains, spines, everything."

"And you didn't think to call me?" his father snapped, his composure slipping for the first time.

Artur stepped forward, his voice shaky but firm. "Mr. Reis, it all happened so fast. They broke in, they attacked. Fabio had no choice."

His father's cold gaze shifted to Artur. "And you? What's your part in all this?"

"I was trying to help," Artur said quickly. "But Fabio handled it. He..."

"That much is obvious," Mr. Reis interrupted, his tone sharp. He turned back to his son. "Fabio, you're lucky I'm here and not an active officer anymore. If this gets out…"

"It won't," Fabio said firmly, cutting him off. "No one's coming here, not tonight."

"Don't be so sure," his father shot back.

"You've made yourself a target, son. "

Fabio squared his shoulders, his expression defiant.

"I already was. This changes nothing."

Mr. Reis sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of his nose again. "Alright," he said after a moment, his voice softer but no less stern.

"We clean this up. Now. Every drop of blood, every body. If anyone asks, this never happened. Understood?"

Artur nodded eagerly. Fabio hesitated, then gave a reluctant nod.

"Good," Mr. Reis said, rolling up his sleeves. "But Fabio, you're going to explain everything...everything when this is done."

Fabio met his father's gaze, a flicker of vulnerability in his otherwise stoic expression. "I will."

And as the three of them began the grim task of erasing the horrors, the weight of what lay ahead settled heavily over them all.

- TO BE CONTINUED