Hours later, as Victor was sitting down with Uncle in the extravagant dining hall on the upper decks of the yacht, he heard a shout from one of the crewmen that made him look up from his steak and eggs. "Prepare docking procedures! We are approaching the island!", came the shout. Victor forgot all about his food as he raced to the front of the ship; he had to see this island for himself. He had been looking forward to it ever since Uncle had told him about it.
As he saw the island, even from afar, its splendor took his breath away. The island was massive, full of high, extravagantly built architectural masterpieces, many of them built of white marble or high-quality steel. As the ship grew closer, Victor could make out flags with the crests of the different families flying above many of the buildings. Victor soon realized that each section of the island flew different flags above their buildings, clearly indicating which family controlled which cities on the massive island.
As the ship docked, Victor could see that the most massive flag on the island, sporting the Vesmierta Family crest, was located in the center of the island atop the tallest and most extravagant building on the island: an unfathomably large luxury corporate building that was pure black with massive gold lettering on it at the top that said Vesmierta Family Holdings.
Victor walked out onto the dock, still absorbed in the splendor around him. He looked at the white marble streets that were perfectly pristine and clean, and at the beautiful people in designer clothing shopping at the upscale stores and hanging out at the extravagant diners and restaurants all around him. A beautiful fountain with a small, pristine garden around it was in the middle of the plaza ahead of him, with handcrafted rosewood benches filled with people talking and laughing. It was the most beautiful town square Victor had ever seen.
Victor was brought out of his fascinated state by a hand on his shoulder, disrupting his thoughts. He turned his head to see Uncle looking at him with a knowing smile on his face. "Are you ready to head to The Compound now?", he asked.
Looking at Uncle in confusion for a moment, he said, "What compound?"
Uncle chuckled before answering him. "The Compound is just what the people who live on our island call the section of our city where the members of the Vesmierta Family live and train. It's the only part of our city that's completely off-limits to the general population."
Victor nodded his head at the explanation and then looked at Uncle and said, "Lead the way, Uncle."
Uncle then pulled his phone out of his pocket and hit a number before putting it to his ear. After a moment, the line connected and Uncle spoke, "We have arrived. Send a car immediately. The Godmother wishes to meet him as soon as possible," then he hung up the phone immediately and returned it to his pocket.
Victor had many questions running through his mind after hearing what Uncle had said, but he was too nervous to say anything after he observed the shift in the older man's demeanor. Gone was the warm and playful attitude from when they were sharing a meal together earlier; he now stood there with his back straight and his eyes focused straight ahead, both his hands folded on the top of the jeweled cane in front of him.
Uncle was back on duty now, and he radiated an aura of power and authority.
Without looking at Victor, he said, "You will do nothing to bring shame to the family from this moment forward. I expect you to conduct yourself in a manner appropriate to your new title, Soldato Victor, or I swear on my name, Salvatore Vincent Accardi, I will personally correct your conduct."
Victor swallowed hard after hearing what Uncle had said and the tone in which he had said it, and then he nodded his head and stood a little straighter.
Unseen by Victor, a small and warm smile found its way onto Uncle's face for a brief instant before disappearing just as quickly upon the approach of a solid black Rolls-Royce. The car came to a stop in front of them, and two large men in black suits wearing sunglasses and earpieces, each with a CQB 1911 holstered on their hip, got out of the backseats on opposite sides and stood next to the open doors, vigilantly scanning the surroundings as they waited for Victor and Uncle to get in the car.
Uncle got into the car from the nearest door, and Victor walked around the other side to get in.
The two men in suits then shut the doors behind them and said something into the earpieces that Victor couldn't make out through the soundproofed doors before turning their backs to the vehicle and standing at attention as it drove off, as if scanning the area for threats.
As Victor leaned back into the seat of the incredibly luxurious vehicle, he couldn't help but ask Uncle despite his nerves, "Is all the security really necessary?"
Uncle responded without looking at him, "Vigilance must be maintained even in times of peace if you wish for peace to be maintained," he said gravely, like a man with experience regarding the topic of conversation.
Victor was curious but decided not to pry at the moment. He relaxed into the comfortable leather of his seat and watched the beautiful buildings and pristine streets go by while gazing out of the tinted window next to him.
It wasn't long before they pulled up to a massive black gate with the Vesmierta Family crest emblazoned in gold upon it. After passing a security check which included several men sweeping the car with equipment to check for explosives or tracking devices, the massive gates were swung open and the car drove through.
Victor could see the most beautiful and extravagant hedge garden he had ever seen, even in pictures, immediately after they went through the gate. Brilliant white marble statues and beautiful flowers could be seen everywhere, and more than one elegant and luxuriously furnished gazebo could be seen among the greenery and flora.
Just as Victor was trying to come to terms with the beauty of what he was seeing, the car had passed the hedge garden, and as it continued down the massive white marble private driveway, Victor soon saw a sight that took his breath away.
He saw a massive, gorgeous white and gold palace that rivaled even the Lakshmi Vilas Palace in India. This was a palace that rose from the earth like a dream, a colossal testament to architectural grandeur and breathtaking opulence. This didn't seem like just a building; it seemed like a world unto itself, carved from stone and gilded with radiant light.
The central, largest dome soared to an incredible height, perhaps even surpassing the Taj Mahal's in its imposing presence, capped with a massive finial of solid gold, intricately carved with lotus motifs and cosmic symbols. Surrounding it were dozens of smaller domes, each perfectly proportioned, some fluted, others smoothly curved, all glinting with the Vesmierta Family crest that shimmered like liquid fire under the sun.
Alongside these were elegant towers, equally adorned with gold detailing and delicate balconies, piercing the sky, their tips culminating in golden spires. Thousands of windows, each a work of art, perforated the walls, painstakingly carved from single slabs of marble to create patterns so fine they resembled lace, meant to allow dappled light to filter into the interiors. Expansive balconies, supported by golden corbels carved into dragons, offered panoramic views, their railings a cascade of gilded filigree.
The main entrance was not a mere gate, but a colossal and extravagant arch entirely faced in gold-plated bronze, with massive, intricately sculpted doors with the Vesmierta Family crest emblazoned upon them. Flanking the gateways were towering statues of dragons seemingly carved from pure jade. The grounds in front of the palace were just as large and expansive as the palace, and Victor saw what seemed to be hundreds of people training and socializing in groups upon the perfectly maintained lawn of the grounds.
Victor was stunned, absolutely speechless by the things he was seeing, and he pinched himself to make sure it was all real. He then turned to see Uncle smiling knowingly at him, and then Uncle said something that cemented the reality of the surreal moment: "Welcome to Castle Vallenhall, welcome to your new home."