“You think these little secrets you have are enough to destroy us?” Giulio says. “The Society would never believe it. Our records, our influence?—”
“You’re right. This, alone, isn’t enough.”
“I called this meeting,” I continue, “because I’ve realized something. The Society is rotting. You’ve hidden behind masksfor too long. You’ve taken advantage of your position to inflict terror on innocent, helpless people without ever showing your faces.”
I lean forward slightly, my voice steady. “That ends tonight. Abolish the marriage rule. And give up your seats.”
Ermanno’s voice is a whisper. “This is never going to happen.”
“Wrong answer.”
“You’re crossing a dangerous line, boy,” Giulio growls. “You think a few threats and blackmail give you the upper hand? You’re still just a child playing at politics.”
I offer a faint smile. “I already told you—I didn’t bring you here for money. Or power.”
I let the words hang in the air. Let the tension pull tight.
“I brought you here to remind you of what the Society once stood for—before corruption hollowed it out. To confront you with the cost of your sins—and offer one last way out. And to strike down a rule that’s enslaved generations—robbing them of choice, silencing their will, and binding them to a future they never asked for.
“You accept my terms… or face the consequences of your deeds.”
Alfonso’s lip curls. “And what punishment do you think you can deliver, boy?” he spits.
I stand to my feet.
The dim lights flickering on the walls throw my shadow long across the floor. My voice is quiet and calm, but it cuts through the air like a blade.
“I’ve only read about it,” I say. “An ancient judgment, older than any of your seats at the table. A ritual reserved for moments when the integrity of the Society is in question. When its leaders are accused, not by enemies… but by one of its own.”
The temperature in the room shifts.
I see it in their eyes. Recognition. Fear.
“No one’s dared invoke it in decades. No one’s had the spine.”
I let a slow smile pull at my lips as their faces shift.
“But you know exactly what it means. You fear it. Because once it’s spoken, it can’t be buried. Not by the Elders. Not by the Bloodline. Not by anyone.”
I pause—let the silence stretch like a blade.
It drags every secret into the light—every lie, every sin. And it forces the Society to choose: preserve its integrity… or eradicate the rot.
Ermanno speaks, his voice hoarse. “You wouldn’t dare.”
I meet his gaze and smirk.
“I call for it.”
Three sharp inhales.
“I call forAntico Giudizio.”
Their reactions are immediate.
“You little—” Alfonso shoots to his feet, knocking his chair back. But before he lunges at me, Giulio holds him back.
Ermanno grips his cane tighter. Giulio’s face remains unreadable, but his jaw tightens.
