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The onlooking crowd watched the battle between Spider Lily and the Vulture, or Adriano Tumino, unfolding above them. They eagerly cheered her on as she swung around the old buzzard. What is a once-in-a-lifetime event for the bystanders below is just a regular Tuesday afternoon for both of them. “Seems like we got an audience, birdie. What do you say we make this worth their while?” Spider Lily chuckled, shooting two webs at his chest. She slung over him, pushing herself off his back with her feet, the force nearly causing him to crash into a nearby building.
Spider Lily —How I loathe you…
Adriano wanted to fight back, but something stopped him. His gaze was locked on her as she stood before him, and he did something completely unlike himself. Normally, he wouldn’t go down without a fight —by God, could he put up a good fight. But instead, he lowered his head, accepting defeat. Spider Lily stood victorious, looking down at the crowd that sang her praises for a brief moment before returning her gaze to face Adriano, who kept his head lowered. She was surprised at his act of surrender but felt a twinge of suspicion. “Vulture, is this some kind of trick-”
“No.” he interrupted, meeting her gaze. “I mean it. I surrender.”
Spider Lily hesitated when turning Adriano over to the authorities. She watched on as he was carried off in the prison coach while the adoring citizens continued to praise her. Distracted and confused, she struggled to acknowledge them. It was almost overwhelming. As the crowd cheered, a storm of emotions raged within him.
—
Night fell over the prison that Adriano was kept in. He lay awake, locked in a cell and trapped with his own thoughts.
Ma che cazzo! What’s gotten into me? Have I gone soft?
He felt the shame wash over him, a dark tide that threatened to drown him. She was his enemy—merely an obstacle holding him back from his ambitions. Yet here he was, caught in a web of longing he couldn’t escape.
His mind fought to hate her, desperate to resent her, yet his heart yearned for something else. Deep down, he cared for her, longing for her presence, to embrace her, to be alone with her. The storm within him began to still, replaced by a calm acceptance washed over him like a gentle tide. He shuddered, allowing the truth to finally settle in, smiling faintly as the shadows in his cell felt a little less suffocating.
He finally surrendered to the truth, letting the warmth of his feelings fill the emptiness of the cell.
Cara mia… How I love you…