Rio made it three blocks from the mansion before the explosion.
The sound was massive. Concussive. The kind that shook buildings and shattered windows.
He turned. Saw smoke rising from downtown. Fire lighting the night sky.
The fragments supplied location instantly: Vanetti operations. Warehouse district. The main supply depot.
More explosions. Three. Four. Five. Coordinated. Simultaneous.
Rio started running. Not away from Lawless. Toward the chaos. Because even now, even after everything, instinct pulled him toward danger.
Toward people he'd betrayed but couldn't stop caring about.
The streets were chaos. People fleeing. Fire spreading. The smell of smoke and explosives mixing with screaming and confusion.
Rio reached the warehouse district. Found carnage.
The Vanetti supply depots were burning. Multiple buildings. Everything they'd stored—weapons, liquor, money, records—all of it going up in flames.
And in the center of the chaos, coordinating the destruction: Frate Vanetti.
With Orco soldiers.
Rio's fragments processed instantly: Betrayal. Frate was the leak. Frate was working with the Orcos all along. Frate orchestrated everything.
"What the hell—" Rio whispered.
One of the Orco soldiers saw him. Raised a weapon. "That's Rio Ceriano! The infiltrator!"
Gunfire erupted.
Rio dove for cover. His body moved on instinct. Fragments guiding survival protocols. Duck. Roll. Return fire with a weapon he grabbed from a fallen soldier.
This wasn't his fight anymore. He'd left. He'd walked away. He should be running.
But Vanetti soldiers were dying. People he'd fought beside. People who'd trusted him despite everything.
Rio couldn't watch them die without acting.
The fragments screamed: Not your problem. Not your family. Not your responsibility.
But Rio moved anyway. Toward the fighting. Toward helping people who'd probably kill him on sight.
He found three Vanetti soldiers pinned down by Orco fire. Recognized them—men from the pier battle, from the safehouse assault. Men who'd fought beside him.
"Suppressing fire!" Rio shouted, opening up on the Orco positions.
The Vanetti soldiers turned. Saw him. Confusion and rage warred on their faces.
"You're the traitor—" one started.
"I know! But right now, Frate's destroying everything and you're outnumbered!" Rio kept firing. "Hate me later! Survive now!"
They made the tactical choice. Returned fire. Used Rio's distraction to reposition.
The fighting was brutal. Close quarters. No room for hesitation.
Rio's fragments guided every move. This was familiar territory. Combat. Survival. The simple clarity of violence.
They pushed back the Orco soldiers. Secured one of the burning warehouses. Found more Vanetti soldiers inside—wounded, trapped, dying.
Rio helped extract them. Carried one man who couldn't walk. The man stared at him with betrayed confusion but didn't resist.
"Why are you helping?" the man gasped.
"Because you're dying and I can stop it."
"But you betrayed—"
"I know. Help me get you out."
They extracted the wounded. Found temporary cover. The explosions had stopped but fires raged.
Then Nero arrived with reinforcements.
He saw the carnage. Saw the burning warehouses. Saw Frate coordinating with Orco soldiers in the distance.
And saw Rio. Blood-covered. Helping wounded Vanetti soldiers.
Their eyes met across the chaos.
Nero's expression was complicated. Fury. Confusion. Something else Rio couldn't name.
"What are you doing here?" Nero shouted across the distance.
"Frate's working with the Orcos! He's been the leak! He's destroying everything!" Rio pointed. "There! He's coordinating the attacks!"
Nero looked. Saw his brother. Saw the betrayal.
His face went cold. Hard. The rage of complete betrayal settling in.
"All units! Frate Vanetti is a traitor! Engage!" Nero's command was absolute.
The fighting shifted. Vanetti forces turning on Frate's position. The remaining Orco soldiers fighting desperately.
Rio moved with them. Not as family. Not as ally. Just as—someone who couldn't stand by.
The fragments had given up arguing. Just guided his hands. His movements. His survival.
They pushed toward Frate's position. The fighting was intense. Frate's forces were prepared. Well-positioned. They'd planned this carefully.
Rio found himself beside Vanno. The younger man's face was grim. Determined. He glanced at Rio. "You came back."
"Yeah."
"Why?"
"Bad decision-making. It's kind of my thing."
"You're helping us."
"I'm helping you not die. There's a difference."
Vanno almost smiled. "Still saving people. Even now."
"Someone has to."
They fought side by side. Like they had at the pier. At the safehouse. Like they were still friends despite everything.
Maybe they were. Maybe friendship survived betrayal if the person kept showing up when it mattered.
Or maybe Rio was just delusional.
They reached Frate's position. He was retreating. Heading for the docks. Escape route already planned.
Nero pursued. Rage driving him. Rio and Vanno following.
They cornered Frate at the waterfront. Boats waiting. His escape within reach.
But Nero was faster. Cut him off. Weapon raised.
"Brother," Nero's voice was cold. Dead. "Explain. Now."
Frate smiled. Bitter. Satisfied. "You want explanation? Fine. I've been working with the Orcos for months. Feeding them information. Coordinating attacks. All of it. Every move."
"Why?"
"Because Father chose you. Always you. I'm the younger son. The spare. The one who doesn't matter. So I decided—" Frate's voice was venomous. "If I couldn't inherit the family, I'd destroy it. Burn it down. Leave nothing for you to inherit."
"You killed Ganzo. You almost killed Father. You've destroyed—" Nero's weapon didn't waver. "Our own family. How could you?"
"Easily. Because you all never saw me. Never valued me. I was always second. Always less." Frate's eyes were hard. "But I won't be second anymore. If I can't have the family, neither can you."
"You're insane."
"I'm practical. The Vanetti family was always going to fall. I just accelerated the timeline." Frate looked past Nero. At Rio. "And I have to thank you. You and Avilio. Your infiltration, your revenge plot—it created perfect chaos. Perfect cover. While everyone watched you, I moved freely. So thank you. For making my betrayal easier."
Rio felt sick. He'd been used. By Frate. By Angelo. By everyone. A weapon that didn't realize it was cutting in multiple directions.
"You're not getting away," Nero said.
"I already have. The Vanetti family is finished. Father's dying. The operations are burned. The trust is shattered. And you—" Frate smiled coldly. "You're broken. Your lover betrayed you. Your brother betrayed you. Everyone betrayed you. What do you have left?"
"This." Nero fired.
The shot took Frate in the chest. Center mass. Professional. Final.
Frate fell. Looked surprised. Then dead.
Nero stood over his brother's body. Weapon still raised. Then lowered slowly.
"It's done," Nero said quietly. Voice hollow. "He's gone."
Vanno approached carefully. "Nero—"
"He destroyed everything. Our family. Our trust. Our—" Nero's voice broke. "Everyone I trusted betrayed me. Everyone I loved—" He looked at Rio. "Why are you still here? Why did you come back? Why did you help?"
"Because I couldn't leave you to die. Any of you. Despite everything." Rio kept his distance. "I know I don't have the right. I know you don't want me here. But I—" He stopped. "I couldn't watch this happen and do nothing."
"You don't get to be the hero. Not after what you did." Nero's voice was anguished. "You don't get to save us and pretend it makes up for the betrayal."
"I know. I'm not trying to make up for anything. I'm just—" Rio gestured helplessly. "I'm just trying to help. While I still can. Before I leave for good."
"You should have left already."
"I know."
"So why didn't you?"
"Because I still care. Despite everything. Despite knowing I shouldn't. Despite—" Rio's voice was quiet. "Despite knowing it destroys me to care. I can't stop. Can't walk away. Can't leave you to burn."
Nero stared at him. Then turned away. "Vanno. Get him out of here. Make sure he leaves Lawless. Tonight. I don't care where he goes. Just—" His voice broke. "I can't see him anymore. Can't have him here. It hurts too much."
"Understood." Vanno moved to Rio. "Come on. Let's go."
"Nero—" Rio started.
"Don't." Nero didn't turn around. "Just go. Please. Let me mourn what I've lost without the reminder of who took it."
Rio wanted to stay. Wanted to fix the unfixable. Wanted to somehow make this better.
But there was no making it better. Just degrees of awful.
He followed Vanno. Away from the docks. Away from Frate's body. Away from Nero standing alone in the wreckage of everything.
---
Vanno walked Rio to the train station. Neither spoke for a long time.
Finally, at the platform: "You saved people tonight. Soldiers who would have died. You didn't have to do that."
"I did. I couldn't—" Rio stopped. "I couldn't watch them die."
"Even though they're not your family. Not your people. Not your responsibility."
"They were. Once. For a little while. That counts for something."
Vanno was quiet. Then: "The friendship was real. Wasn't it? Not the mission. Not the lies. But the friendship. The times we laughed. Fought together. That was real."
"Yes. All of it."
"Good. That helps. Knowing something was real." Vanno extended his hand. "Goodbye, Rio. For real this time. Don't come back. But—" He paused. "Don't forget us either. Don't forget what we had. The good parts. Keep those. Even if everything else was lies."
Rio shook his hand. "I won't forget. I couldn't if I tried."
"Take care of yourself. Wherever you go. Whatever life you live." Vanno's voice was soft. "And maybe—try to be better. Try to be the person you were with us. The friend. Not the weapon."
"I'll try."
"That's all anyone can do."
Vanno left. Walked back toward Lawless. Toward whatever came next for the Vanetti family.
Rio watched him go. Then turned to the platform.
The train was waiting. Chicago-bound. Full circle. Again.
He boarded. Found a seat. Watched Lawless disappear through the window as the train pulled away.
The city lights faded. The smoke from the fires visible even from distance. The physical representation of everything burning down.
The fragments whispered: Survival achieved. Mission completed. Revenge executed. All goals met.
But at what cost?
Rio had infiltrated the Vanetti family. Helped Angelo's revenge. Betrayed everyone. Destroyed the man he loved. And survived to carry it all.
The fragments reminded him: You'll carry this forever. Across every life. Every reincarnation. Nero's curse. Remember.
Rio would. Would remember Nero's smile. Vanno's laugh. Corteo's worry. The warmth of belonging. The weight of betrayal. The cost of love.
Would carry it all. Into the next life. And the next. And the next.
Forever.
That was the curse. And maybe the gift. Because if he carried it forever, then it mattered. They mattered. The love was real. The friendship was real.
Even if everything else was lies.
The train carried Rio away from Lawless. Into whatever came next. Into new cities and new lives and new chances to be better.
Or to fail again. Across infinite lifetimes. The same patterns. The same mistakes.
But maybe—just maybe—carrying the memory meant learning from it. Growing from it. Becoming something other than a weapon.
Maybe.
The fragments weren't sure.
Neither was Rio.
But he had forever to figure it out.
The train moved through the night. Carrying Rio toward tomorrow. Leaving Lawless and its burning bridges behind.
But never truly leaving. Because the fragments held it all. The love. The betrayal. The destruction. The humanity found and lost.
Forever.
That was the cost.
And somehow, impossibly, Rio thought it might be worth it.
Even if it destroyed him.
Even if survival meant living with it eternally.
Because he'd loved. He'd connected. He'd cared.
And that mattered.
The fragments agreed.
For once.