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[lelouchxl]

Devils Sonata

The Devil's Sonata  

Chapter 1

“Thus, the Lord regretted that he made human beings on earth, and his heart was deeply troubled,”

 Canzo said, raising his eyebrows. 

“Isn’t it such a fascinating passage, Vincenzo?” 

"Do you believe that God, as powerful as he is, could emanate such melancholy?" Canzo said softly, Vincenzo sighed, rubbing his nose. 

"It's as if the notion fashioned in thine image is undeniably true," he continued, prompting a taken-aback response from Canzo.

 "True as in what?"

 Canzo inquired,  surprised by Vincenzo's statement. "True as in God took pity on us, true as in God is merely a human being," 

Vincenzo remarked with a confident smirk.

 "This is blasphemy, Vincenzo," 

Canzo retorted, raising his voice and unintentionally standing up, escalating the tension between student and mentor. Canzo, attempting to diffuse the situation, forced a laugh and added, "You think God regretted making us because of himself?’ 

With a smile, Vincenzo said  “He claimed”, “Love has existed since he entered the universe, that is his essence. However, that does not guarantee the absence of the negative, It's as if despair overshadowed him; nothing is perfect, Canzo, perfection is only a maker’s flaw, and that's why we humans are so flawed, we continue to repent even knowing we’ll sin again, it's a cycle of imperfection that God gave us and if he gave to us then it is him who had first”, 

Vincenzo laughed and said I'm only speculating Canzo calm down.

Canzo with a red face got up and said 

“You fool” 

“Wait till I tell your father about this”,

 “My father” 

Vincenzo said laughing

 “Now that is a fool, a man with no love, only filled with hatred, my father should take notes from God, as he loved his children.” 

Chapter 2

The conversation gradually eased to the point where it was utter silence,  

 looking away from Canzo and slowly turned to the window, with a saddened sigh Canzo said 

“If it's freedom you want then leave, go far away Vincenzo, and explore the world” 

Holding one's head in one hand Vincenzo said to Canzo, 

“You know I can never leave right? I am bound to this house and the family name” “Foolishness Vincenzo”

 Canzo said with flashing eyes 

“this is your life Vincenzo Agosti you are your own man”. 

Vincenzo stared at Canzo with a strange look and said 

“Why the sudden change of heart Canzo, were you not going to tell my father of my blasphemy”

“ fear not Child it is just a shock of anger, Don't look so gloomy,”

 Canzo said, 

“My life was once similar to yours, freedom is hard to grasp, yet we have it by right” 

As those words echoed in his mind he left the room, the hallway to his bedroom was endless and had a profound melancholy that enwrapped all the wood, an endless walk to a cage with no lock, the wood on the walls were old and smelt like death, pictures of past ancestors hung on walls left and right, Vincenzo looked like a lost soul wandering around with chains shackled to the house, he finally got to his room, and slowly laid on his bed, and fell quickly to sleep.

Chapter 3 

 The heavy rain the following morning abruptly awakened Vincenzo from his peaceful slumber. Recalling his conversation with Canzo, he muttered "Blasphemy" with a vacant stare. He pondered aloud, 

"Isn't death too harsh a punishment for freethinkers?" 

The thought of death did not bring any closure to his mother's death. 

, Vincenzo dressed for breakfast amidst scattered music sheets and violin strings. Despite not being a prodigy, playing the violin brought him solace; he often improvised musical notes for pleasure. Adjusting his tie in the mirror, the twenty-year-old revealed his tall, lanky frame and unbuttoned black blazer over a brown shirt with a golden cross. Vincenzo's rugged appearance, with his once-patchy black beard and sunken eyes, contrasted starkly with his father's demeanor.

“Good morning,”

 one of the maids said to Vincenzo as he was approaching the door to the dining table, “Please come in Giana said” 

prompting her hand to the door, you look lovely madam, Vincenzo said, As he walked in he could see his father at the end of the table staring at him with a cold glare, Aldo Agosti one of the last remaining aristocrats in Italy, his family fortune stemmed from old artifacts. As Vincenzo entered the room, he took his seat at the opposite end of the table avoiding eye contact from his father. The maids, acting in perfect synchrony, brought out the food, and they commenced their meal in silence. After a while, Aldo cast a quiet glance at Vincenzo and spoke slowly,

 "I notice that my son enjoys questioning what he does not understand. God is not some human you can analyze”.

Vincenzo glanced around, searching for Canzo, but his father interjected,

 "Do not fret, son. I am aware of everything."

Aldo then introduced his proposition: an invitation to a prestigious European school, facilitated by his connections, in exchange for Vincenzo assuming the role of family heir, with Aldo arranging suitable matches for him.

"You desire freedom from this false dilemma; I offer it at a price," Aldo stated.

Confusion enveloped Vincenzo as he pondered the offer. Was it out of pity?

 "Why grant me a fleeting freedom only to ensnare me in a lifetime of corruption?"

 he questioned through gritted teeth.

Aldo, wearing a cold smile, asserted, 

"Because you are my son, and you will obey."

 With a snap of his fingers, a maid presented a plate bearing a key and an envelope containing money.

 "This is all I will provide: your dormitory key and limited funds,"

 Aldo declared. "The school is in Vienna."

In a state of shock and bewilderment, Vincenzo sensed a ploy. Why allow me to journey across Europe, only to expect my return?"I may not grasp my father's motives, as with those before him, and God whose cause do you serve?"

 he mused silently amid the melancholic echoes of the rain-soaked dining hall

Vincenzo abruptly excused himself, prompting Aldo to order, 

"Giana, ensure my son remains confined until he provides a definitive answer."

Chapter 4

 He strolled past the entrance of the study room, catching the familiar tune of Canzo's humming. Vincenzo recognized it instantly. As he entered, he found Canzo seated near the open window, engrossed in the writings of Thomas Aquinas.  Canzo, looking up, noticed a somber silhouette at the door. With a teasing tone, he called out, 

"Vincenzo, you fool! Are you spying on me?"

 "Ironic," Vincenzo retorted. "

Now, now," 

Canzo chuckled. 

"I never thought your father had rats, although I always suspected as much”.

“The freedom you sought after has arrived; all that remains is your response."

 Ignoring the question, Vincenzo swiftly remarked, 

"Mahler's Symphony No. 2 'Auferstehung'—the embodiment of resurrection."

 "Yes," 

Canzo replied, 

"the most poetic conclusion to a song that mankind has ever created.” 

instantly shifting the conversation Vincenzo said I think I'm going to decline my father's offer, he said to Canzo,

 “as you said I'm my own man, I don't need help from a man with no love in his heart.”

“So be it,” 

Canzo said. Vincenzo left while wanting to meet his father at his office, but he was hesitant, so much so that he waited for the rain to calm down, so he could venture off into the garden maze they have in the backyard.  It's been years since he walked around in that maze. 

It was a challenging one, he never truly grasped the route to its center, knowledge only his father possessed, despite his constant attempts he felt like he was walking around with no hope, it was just countless frustrating dead ends, but after ten minutes of walking back and forth he stumbled upon a small dent in the ground.

The end had a musical note on the floor with a small pressure plate on the left, it was a bass clef, he stood back confused about the fact that he had never seen this note during his youth. Vincenzo stepped on the pressure plate and the grass end in front of him opened up. 

Chapter 5 

The sun was beginning to rise, and while the water dripped gently amongst the foliage of the maze, one raindrop fell on top of Vincenzo's head, he looked up as the sun shined in his eyes. 

Slowly looking down, the passage was fully opened, and he took two steps in, looking left and right he saw no path, only the one in front of him, he saw a dark, sleek narrow pathway, the path in Vincenzo's eyes looked like the dark endless abyss. He began to walk down, eerie as it was, with no sound, but only his breathing and heartbeat, he had not known what lay at the end. 

He walked for almost five whole minutes, the pathway was covered from top to bottom with leaves that had the smell of an old cellar. The end was near, and the pathway followed a left corner with what seemed to be another long walk but light was at the end. He stepped into the light, finding himself amidst the maze. 

The center of the maze was spacious, featuring a conspicuous statue at its core. As Vincenzo approached, the figure grew increasingly shrouded in darkness. When he looked up, the statue's eyes seemed to pierce him with a haunting gaze, revealing sinister carvings that sparked a sense of fear. 

His gaze shifted downward, revealing long pointed toenails, and as he looked upward again, the statue's naked form stretched from toes to wings that, despite their angelic appearance, looked like something malevolent.

 In a hushed tone, Vincenzo murmured, 

"A demon statue in our yard, how could this be?"

 His eyes returned to the statue, now captivated by a chilling scene — the demon playing a violin and gazing down at the floor. 

Despite the absence of horns, the statue portrayed a melancholic expression with flowing hair. As he surveyed the surroundings, Vincenzo noticed a small passage beneath its back right foot, marked with the inscription, 

THE STAR THAT FELL WAS BEGONED AND BEGOTTEN BEFORE HIS FATHER. 

Vincenzo stepped back a couple of meters, walked back to the front, and realized who this was. Without hesitation, he turned around to find the passage, looking left and right hastily to leave the maze. As he walked near the middle of the dark pathway, his heart began to pound rapidly, then at a slow pace he started to run, the long narrow and dark path seemed endless, he took the left and saw the opening, running out he took deep breaths, he realized it was raining still, confused he looked up at his father's window, and he saw him staring at Vincenzo, as he quickly turned away closing the drapes. 

Chapter 6

His heavy breathing followed him into the back door, he found himself staring face to face with Giana the maid, 

“what's wrong Vincenzo does everything seem to be alright?” 

Giana said with a worried face  

“Yes” 

he replied while his heavy breathing subsided, walking away from Giana he left her by the door with wet shoe prints that followed. 

He walked straight to his room, but on the way, his head started to ache, some horrifying sound came into his consciousness, like someone playing the violin backward, it was ringing so loud his ears were about to pop, and he fell to his knees holding both his ears, looking down he saw a shadow walk close to him, the shadow grabbed both his hands and pulled Vincenzo up, a snap in his head went off, and the sound went away.

 He saw that it was Canzo, who was lifting him, 

“what in God's name is happening”

 Vincenzo said loudly,  frustrated as he was, he asked Canzo 

“Help me to my room mentor, there's something I need to tell you”. 

Canzo laid Vincenzo on his chair near the window, Vincenzo quickly looked outside at the maze, but it was too tall for his house to even see the middle. 

Looking back at Canzo, he hastily grabbed his hand with strength pulled Canzo near his face, and said, 

“Don’t lie to me for God is my witness Canzo but why is there a statue of the fallen angel in the center of our maze” 

Canzo stepped back pulling away from Vincenzo's hand looked at him and said, “Is this some kind of jest” 

“Does it look like I'm joking Canzo” 

Vincenzo said while looking into his eyes.

“I'm going to find my father”, 

leaving the room. Canzo walked towards the window looking at the maze and saw that there was nothing there, only a small garden with a cellar entrance to the right. Canzo said to himself while looking at the door that Vincenzo walked out of  “We never had a maze”. 

Chapter 7   

His head still echoed with the haunting melody of the shattered violin, producing an eerie and malevolent sound. 

The paintings adorning the walls of his father's room depicted ancient ancestors, resembling those he had near his bedroom.

 As he walked through the hallway, he cast glances in both directions, the feeling of being observed was haunting him sending shivers down his spine. The sensation persisted, as though unseen eyes tracked his every move, with the instinct to quicken his pace. 

With each step, the corridor seemed to constrict, its walls shifting in tandem with the peculiar ambiance of the mansion. 

Determined to synchronize with this otherworldly phenomenon, he began to walk at a steady pace. Wiping sweat from his face, he approached his father's room, its presence was insufferable. It stood with a  black door, and a small knob featuring an intricate knock mechanism adorned with angelic facial features. 

As he extended his hand to knock, a sound caught his attention. He halted, listening intently as footsteps approached the door. 

To his surprise, it swung open of its own accord. 

He entered the room to find his father gazing out the window into the garden. 

Taking a few steps inside, Vincenzo glanced to his left, expecting to see the source of the mysterious door opening, only to realize it was a mere maid. She respectfully lowered her head and withdrew, leaving father and son alone. 

Aldo turned around looked at Vincenzo with a smile and began saying 

“My lost son returns with an answer, what shall it be? 

Looking at Vincenzo with glaring eyes of fire, Vincenzo sneered and said, 

“As Satan himself tempted Christ and failed, I shall do the same, your presence is only that of an ill omen, your offer is meaningless, and your temptation has failed” 

with a glance of an eye, Vincenzo caught the tip of a piece of paper underneath his father's bookshelf. 

He looked back at his father for a response, but only exchanged glances Aldo broke the stare by saying  

“So be it, for the last twenty years you've stayed locked in this mansion, and you’ll stay for another twenty, you've been an insolent child, a spawn of the devil ever since you were born”

 Aldo said with an anguished look, 

“I'll be gone for three days on a business trip, the last thing I want to see is your face, leave me be” 

Vincenzo looked back at the paper, walking backward near the door, and turned around and left, leaving the door open, as he walked down the hall he felt his father's glaring eyes following him. 

Chapter 8 

It continued to rain the next day, as his father left early around 5:00 am, the mansion felt quiet and clear of any evilness that surrounded the halls, it was like a fresh breeze of clean air that hit Vincenzo's face. 

He got up and quickly dressed, for he felt a good day would be at hand, three days of complete freedom he thought, no eyes or ears, just him and his mind.

 Vincenzo walked past the library and saw Canzo reading near the window again, the spot he adored because the sun would shine on the book. 

Canzo looked up and saw him pass by, but paid no attention to it, Vincenzo walked down his father's hall and again saw his black towering door, he stared at it for quite a while, and then proceeded to open it. 

As he walked in a cold breeze brushed his face, and instantly turning toward the paper from before which had still laid there without notice, he walked towards and picked it up, looking at it he realized it was a music sheet of an old song, without reading further, he swiftly stashed the sheet into his pocket and slipped out of his father's room, as if no one had never been noticed. Walking back to his room he passed by the library, Canzo still sitting there called out to him, 

“Has one been engulfed with happiness, or is this the morning doing its wonders” 

 Vincenzo popped his head back in the room and said 

“God has given me peace it seems”

 he smiled and walked away. He entered his room, walked to his chair by the window, sat, took out the sheet of paper, and began reading it. He was puzzled for some time, he sat there until the afternoon. Canzo walked by his room and saw him sitting there in deep thought, and knocked and said 

“Vincenzo you missed breakfast, and soon brunch”

He walked in and glanced at the notes on the paper, grabbed it from Vincenzo's hand, and said

 “once a fool always a fool, it seems the music sheet of notes is reversed”,

 “but why”

Vincenzo said 

“ It seems someone was playing around with the song for fun, the song is the Devil Trill Sonata”, 

Tartini Vincenzo said with a puzzled face, 

“yes,” 

Canzo said but it's only showing the ending of the song. Canzo looked at Vincenzo and said 

“It was stated that the devil visited Tartini's dream and played this song to him, some say it was a deal, others say it was only a silly dream, but the notes and difficulty of the song were not man-made” 

and who said that Vincenzo said

“I did”  

Canzo said. Canzo walked away and said 

“Don't miss dinner”

closing the door and leaving Vincenzo by himself with the notes of the devil.  

Chapter 9

A gloomy shadow rained over the mansion with a cast of doubt that washed through the halls leading to Vincenzo's room. He grabbed his Violin near the window and began playing the song in the correct version until he reached the altered part, he grabbed the sheet and played it, he played it so well that it rolled off his fingers with ease, and the sound was dreadful, bitter, but his mind and soul loved it, he felt happy for a moment, but then he realized it was the same sound that brought him to his knees, but for some reason it didn't bother him, and at that moment his conscious fell back to the abyss, he saw his eyes inside his head, he was flying away from his eyes, the visions of life was fading away. At that moment he heard a voice, the voice was soft and sad, yet it felt wicked, it was his voice, a shock came over him, confused, but he could not speak, his voice was taken from him, and given to the other. The other said 

“It seems you've played it again” 

Then laughing he said, 

“Your father is clumsy”. 

As the other was fading, he said to Vincenzo 

“She tried to kill you once, but failed miserably, as I stabbed her heart repeatedly, and the last thing she saw was your face, I shall leave you in this cage of despair child, and watch again as life fades through your eyes”.

 Canzo came by to remind Vincenzo that brunch was ready, he knew Vincenzo wouldn’t come, so he came himself. He saw Vincenzo sitting by the window with his violin in the playing position, Vincenzo said to Canzo with a voice of surprise 

 “Mentor you look like death has sat upon your shoulder” 

he walked towards Canzo's shoulder placed his hand on it, and said 

“Let us go eat before the cold engulfs it” 

He walked out down the hall and disappeared. Canzo walked towards the chair where he sat and saw the music sheet, picked it up, and put it in his pocket.

Chapter 10 

The house reeked of death and hopelessness for the past three days since Canzo last spoke to Vincenzo at the dinner table, these three days Canzo read by the window until the last day it had rained before Aldo came home. Canzo greeted him by the door and said “How was your trip, sir” 

Aldo said with a cold stare 

“ it was fine, though I found the violin performance after my meeting to end my day perfectly” 

at that moment for some odd reason, Aldo felt a chill down his spine like before, Canzo looked at Aldo confused, and said 

“Is everything alright” 

 “where is Vincenzo”

 Aldo said to Canzo,

“He’s somewhere in this house I think, he's been gloomy the past three days “ 

Aldo looked at Canzo and stared at him for one minute straight, and then quickly turned left and ran to his room. Canzo has never seen his master act like this, he’s only been with the family for ten years, but Canzo followed himself as well.  Aldo ran into his room searching everywhere for something, Canzo followed in and asked 

“ what's wrong sir” 

but he ignored him, Aldo turned his room upside down, then yelled at Canzo saying

“Has Vincenzo entered this room, and don't lie to me” 

“ No sir………”

 but then Canzo remembered Vincenzo walking away from the direction of his room when he was reading in the library.

“Sir he might have, he had this music sheet with him, it was the Devil's Trill Sonata, but the notes near the end of the song were changed” 

“ Does he still have it?”

 Aldo said with a scared voice,

“No”

 Canzo  pulled the sheet out of his pocket and gave it to Aldo 

Aldo held it in his hands looked up at Canzo and said 

“ Canzo listen to me carefully and don't disobey me” 

“ Yes master, of course, anything” 

Aldo said “ Vincenzo is not the person you think he is”

 Canzo was about to speak but Aldo cut him off with a cold glare 

“ The Vincenzo that walks around the house is that of the devil himself, and none of us can do anything about it” 

Canzo was confused, but they heard someone coming up the stairs down the hall, Aldo quickly said, 

“Hide in the closet, my life Canzo is at an end, I have a pistol at the dining room on display, you must take it”. 

Vincenzo walked in and said 

“has my father gone insane, talking to himself now, how pathetic” 

Before Vincenzo could say another word Aldo said 

“it seems my son has played the song, though I will never see him again, I will trust that my hate is not something he dies with”   

Vincenzo walked close to Aldo thrust a stab in the stomach and pulled a knife up to his heart, leaving his heart exposed to air, Canzo watched everything through the closet door openings, as Aldo fell to the floor, The other got close to Aldo’s face and said 

“Isn't it beautiful, how life in the eyes slowly fades away, I pray that you are watching Vincenzo”

 He got up looked around, and left closing the door. Canzo waited ten minutes before leaving the closet, he walked to Aldo's dead and cold body and closed his eyes. As he prayed to God, beads of sweat formed on his brow, and his trembling hands made it difficult to speak.

Chapter 11

Canzo left the room, gently closing the door behind him. He briskly strode down the hall until he encountered a maid carrying a tray of food for Aldo. 

"Hold on, miss, I'll take that," 

Canzo said quickly. 

The maid bowed and departed as he hurriedly put the food in the library. He needed to ensure no one approached the room at any cost, but he somehow needed to get that gun, at this point, he thought it was no use, the gun was most important. He walked into the dining room and saw it cased in the glass above Aldo’s seat. Before he could contemplate retrieving it, Vincenzo entered the room. He saw Canzo near Aldo’s seat and said 

“Mentor God himself has blessed us to meet, I pray your day has gone well”

“My day has been interesting” 

As his heart started to pound heavily he said to Vincenzo 

“What brings you into the dining room in the morning, you rarely eat breakfast” 

“Very true Canzo, I shall leave you be then while you eat by yourself, oh I forgot to ask I changed my decision I'll be leaving for Vienna, my father has inspired me so much, the last few days of silence gave me peace of mind”

Canzo bowed his head to Vincenzo and said 

“The changed man has truly changed” 

Vincenzo walked away, leaving Canzo alone. Canzo waited for a moment before his gaze settled on the glass case. He opened the hatch on the left and retrieved the gun, it was a weathered American Colt Navy revolver. Leaving the dining hall, consumed by the urgency to confront Vincenzo, Canzo scoured every corner but found no trace of him. As he made his way towards the main hall, a chilling sight caught his attention, a pool of blood near the jacket closet. Opening it, he discovered four maids lying lifeless, their throats gruesomely slit from one end to the other, he quickly closed the door and at that moment he heard a violin being played, Devil's Trill Sonata was echoed from the library, he slowly walked to the door and saw Vincenzo playing seated and faced to the window, Vincenzo said to Canzo as he walked in

 “ just like the dream, you and Tartini both gave me a face of disgust” 

He slowly walked to the chair and pointed the gun at his head while still playing the violin, Vincenzo said 

“It seems my tim

The Devil's Sonata  

Chapter 1

“Thus, the Lord regretted that he made human beings on earth, and his heart was deeply troubled,”

 Canzo said, raising his eyebrows. 

“Isn’t it such a fascinating passage, Vincenzo?” 

"Do you believe that God, as powerful as he is, could emanate such melancholy?" Canzo said softly, Vincenzo sighed, rubbing his nose. 

"It's as if the notion fashioned in thine image is undeniably true," he continued, prompting a taken-aback response from Canzo.

 "True as in what?"

 Canzo inquired,  surprised by Vincenzo's statement. "True as in God took pity on us, true as in God is merely a human being," 

Vincenzo remarked with a confident smirk.

 "This is blasphemy, Vincenzo," 

Canzo retorted, raising his voice and unintentionally standing up, escalating the tension between student and mentor. Canzo, attempting to diffuse the situation, forced a laugh and added, "You think God regretted making us because of himself?’ 

With a smile, Vincenzo said  “He claimed”, “Love has existed since he entered the universe, that is his essence. However, that does not guarantee the absence of the negative, It's as if despair overshadowed him; nothing is perfect, Canzo, perfection is only a maker’s flaw, and that's why we humans are so flawed, we continue to repent even knowing we’ll sin again, it's a cycle of imperfection that God gave us and if he gave to us then it is him who had first”, 

Vincenzo laughed and said I'm only speculating Canzo calm down.

Canzo with a red face got up and said 

“You fool” 

“Wait till I tell your father about this”,

 “My father” 

Vincenzo said laughing

 “Now that is a fool, a man with no love, only filled with hatred, my father should take notes from God, as he loved his children.” 

Chapter 2

The conversation gradually eased to the point where it was utter silence,  

 looking away from Canzo and slowly turned to the window, with a saddened sigh Canzo said 

“If it's freedom you want then leave, go far away Vincenzo, and explore the world” 

Holding one's head in one hand Vincenzo said to Canzo, 

“You know I can never leave right? I am bound to this house and the family name” “Foolishness Vincenzo”

 Canzo said with flashing eyes 

“this is your life Vincenzo Agosti you are your own man”. 

Vincenzo stared at Canzo with a strange look and said 

“Why the sudden change of heart Canzo, were you not going to tell my father of my blasphemy”

“ fear not Child it is just a shock of anger, Don't look so gloomy,”

 Canzo said, 

“My life was once similar to yours, freedom is hard to grasp, yet we have it by right” 

As those words echoed in his mind he left the room, the hallway to his bedroom was endless and had a profound melancholy that enwrapped all the wood, an endless walk to a cage with no lock, the wood on the walls were old and smelt like death, pictures of past ancestors hung on walls left and right, Vincenzo looked like a lost soul wandering around with chains shackled to the house, he finally got to his room, and slowly laid on his bed, and fell quickly to sleep.

Chapter 3 

 The heavy rain the following morning abruptly awakened Vincenzo from his peaceful slumber. Recalling his conversation with Canzo, he muttered "Blasphemy" with a vacant stare. He pondered aloud, 

"Isn't death too harsh a punishment for freethinkers?" 

The thought of death did not bring any closure to his mother's death. 

, Vincenzo dressed for breakfast amidst scattered music sheets and violin strings. Despite not being a prodigy, playing the violin brought him solace; he often improvised musical notes for pleasure. Adjusting his tie in the mirror, the twenty-year-old revealed his tall, lanky frame and unbuttoned black blazer over a brown shirt with a golden cross. Vincenzo's rugged appearance, with his once-patchy black beard and sunken eyes, contrasted starkly with his father's demeanor.

“Good morning,”

 one of the maids said to Vincenzo as he was approaching the door to the dining table, “Please come in Giana said” 

prompting her hand to the door, you look lovely madam, Vincenzo said, As he walked in he could see his father at the end of the table staring at him with a cold glare, Aldo Agosti one of the last remaining aristocrats in Italy, his family fortune stemmed from old artifacts. As Vincenzo entered the room, he took his seat at the opposite end of the table avoiding eye contact from his father. The maids, acting in perfect synchrony, brought out the food, and they commenced their meal in silence. After a while, Aldo cast a quiet glance at Vincenzo and spoke slowly,

 "I notice that my son enjoys questioning what he does not understand. God is not some human you can analyze”.

Vincenzo glanced around, searching for Canzo, but his father interjected,

 "Do not fret, son. I am aware of everything."

Aldo then introduced his proposition: an invitation to a prestigious European school, facilitated by his connections, in exchange for Vincenzo assuming the role of family heir, with Aldo arranging suitable matches for him.

"You desire freedom from this false dilemma; I offer it at a price," Aldo stated.

Confusion enveloped Vincenzo as he pondered the offer. Was it out of pity?

 "Why grant me a fleeting freedom only to ensnare me in a lifetime of corruption?"

 he questioned through gritted teeth.

Aldo, wearing a cold smile, asserted, 

"Because you are my son, and you will obey."

 With a snap of his fingers, a maid presented a plate bearing a key and an envelope containing money.

 "This is all I will provide: your dormitory key and limited funds,"

 Aldo declared. "The school is in Vienna."

In a state of shock and bewilderment, Vincenzo sensed a ploy. Why allow me to journey across Europe, only to expect my return?"I may not grasp my father's motives, as with those before him, and God whose cause do you serve?"

 he mused silently amid the melancholic echoes of the rain-soaked dining hall

Vincenzo abruptly excused himself, prompting Aldo to order, 

"Giana, ensure my son remains confined until he provides a definitive answer."

Chapter 4

 He strolled past the entrance of the study room, catching the familiar tune of Canzo's humming. Vincenzo recognized it instantly. As he entered, he found Canzo seated near the open window, engrossed in the writings of Thomas Aquinas.  Canzo, looking up, noticed a somber silhouette at the door. With a teasing tone, he called out, 

"Vincenzo, you fool! Are you spying on me?"

 "Ironic," Vincenzo retorted. "

Now, now," 

Canzo chuckled. 

"I never thought your father had rats, although I always suspected as much”.

“The freedom you sought after has arrived; all that remains is your response."

 Ignoring the question, Vincenzo swiftly remarked, 

"Mahler's Symphony No. 2 'Auferstehung'—the embodiment of resurrection."

 "Yes," 

Canzo replied, 

"the most poetic conclusion to a song that mankind has ever created.” 

instantly shifting the conversation Vincenzo said I think I'm going to decline my father's offer, he said to Canzo,

 “as you said I'm my own man, I don't need help from a man with no love in his heart.”

“So be it,” 

Canzo said. Vincenzo left while wanting to meet his father at his office, but he was hesitant, so much so that he waited for the rain to calm down, so he could venture off into the garden maze they have in the backyard.  It's been years since he walked around in that maze. 

It was a challenging one, he never truly grasped the route to its center, knowledge only his father possessed, despite his constant attempts he felt like he was walking around with no hope, it was just countless frustrating dead ends, but after ten minutes of walking back and forth he stumbled upon a small dent in the ground.

The end had a musical note on the floor with a small pressure plate on the left, it was a bass clef, he stood back confused about the fact that he had never seen this note during his youth. Vincenzo stepped on the pressure plate and the grass end in front of him opened up. 

Chapter 5 

The sun was beginning to rise, and while the water dripped gently amongst the foliage of the maze, one raindrop fell on top of Vincenzo's head, he looked up as the sun shined in his eyes. 

Slowly looking down, the passage was fully opened, and he took two steps in, looking left and right he saw no path, only the one in front of him, he saw a dark, sleek narrow pathway, the path in Vincenzo's eyes looked like the dark endless abyss. He began to walk down, eerie as it was, with no sound, but only his breathing and heartbeat, he had not known what lay at the end. 

He walked for almost five whole minutes, the pathway was covered from top to bottom with leaves that had the smell of an old cellar. The end was near, and the pathway followed a left corner with what seemed to be another long walk but light was at the end. He stepped into the light, finding himself amidst the maze. 

The center of the maze was spacious, featuring a conspicuous statue at its core. As Vincenzo approached, the figure grew increasingly shrouded in darkness. When he looked up, the statue's eyes seemed to pierce him with a haunting gaze, revealing sinister carvings that sparked a sense of fear. 

His gaze shifted downward, revealing long pointed toenails, and as he looked upward again, the statue's naked form stretched from toes to wings that, despite their angelic appearance, looked like something malevolent.

 In a hushed tone, Vincenzo murmured, 

"A demon statue in our yard, how could this be?"

 His eyes returned to the statue, now captivated by a chilling scene — the demon playing a violin and gazing down at the floor. 

Despite the absence of horns, the statue portrayed a melancholic expression with flowing hair. As he surveyed the surroundings, Vincenzo noticed a small passage beneath its back right foot, marked with the inscription, 

THE STAR THAT FELL WAS BEGONED AND BEGOTTEN BEFORE HIS FATHER. 

Vincenzo stepped back a couple of meters, walked back to the front, and realized who this was. Without hesitation, he turned around to find the passage, looking left and right hastily to leave the maze. As he walked near the middle of the dark pathway, his heart began to pound rapidly, then at a slow pace he started to run, the long narrow and dark path seemed endless, he took the left and saw the opening, running out he took deep breaths, he realized it was raining still, confused he looked up at his father's window, and he saw him staring at Vincenzo, as he quickly turned away closing the drapes. 

Chapter 6

His heavy breathing followed him into the back door, he found himself staring face to face with Giana the maid, 

“what's wrong Vincenzo does everything seem to be alright?” 

Giana said with a worried face  

“Yes” 

he replied while his heavy breathing subsided, walking away from Giana he left her by the door with wet shoe prints that followed. 

He walked straight to his room, but on the way, his head started to ache, some horrifying sound came into his consciousness, like someone playing the violin backward, it was ringing so loud his ears were about to pop, and he fell to his knees holding both his ears, looking down he saw a shadow walk close to him, the shadow grabbed both his hands and pulled Vincenzo up, a snap in his head went off, and the sound went away.

 He saw that it was Canzo, who was lifting him, 

“what in God's name is happening”

 Vincenzo said loudly,  frustrated as he was, he asked Canzo 

“Help me to my room mentor, there's something I need to tell you”. 

Canzo laid Vincenzo on his chair near the window, Vincenzo quickly looked outside at the maze, but it was too tall for his house to even see the middle. 

Looking back at Canzo, he hastily grabbed his hand with strength pulled Canzo near his face, and said, 

“Don’t lie to me for God is my witness Canzo but why is there a statue of the fallen angel in the center of our maze” 

Canzo stepped back pulling away from Vincenzo's hand looked at him and said, “Is this some kind of jest” 

“Does it look like I'm joking Canzo” 

Vincenzo said while looking into his eyes.

“I'm going to find my father”, 

leaving the room. Canzo walked towards the window looking at the maze and saw that there was nothing there, only a small garden with a cellar entrance to the right. Canzo said to himself while looking at the door that Vincenzo walked out of  “We never had a maze”. 

Chapter 7   

His head still echoed with the haunting melody of the shattered violin, producing an eerie and malevolent sound. 

The paintings adorning the walls of his father's room depicted ancient ancestors, resembling those he had near his bedroom.

 As he walked through the hallway, he cast glances in both directions, the feeling of being observed was haunting him sending shivers down his spine. The sensation persisted, as though unseen eyes tracked his every move, with the instinct to quicken his pace. 

With each step, the corridor seemed to constrict, its walls shifting in tandem with the peculiar ambiance of the mansion. 

Determined to synchronize with this otherworldly phenomenon, he began to walk at a steady pace. Wiping sweat from his face, he approached his father's room, its presence was insufferable. It stood with a  black door, and a small knob featuring an intricate knock mechanism adorned with angelic facial features. 

As he extended his hand to knock, a sound caught his attention. He halted, listening intently as footsteps approached the door. 

To his surprise, it swung open of its own accord. 

He entered the room to find his father gazing out the window into the garden. 

Taking a few steps inside, Vincenzo glanced to his left, expecting to see the source of the mysterious door opening, only to realize it was a mere maid. She respectfully lowered her head and withdrew, leaving father and son alone. 

Aldo turned around looked at Vincenzo with a smile and began saying 

“My lost son returns with an answer, what shall it be? 

Looking at Vincenzo with glaring eyes of fire, Vincenzo sneered and said, 

“As Satan himself tempted Christ and failed, I shall do the same, your presence is only that of an ill omen, your offer is meaningless, and your temptation has failed” 

with a glance of an eye, Vincenzo caught the tip of a piece of paper underneath his father's bookshelf. 

He looked back at his father for a response, but only exchanged glances Aldo broke the stare by saying  

“So be it, for the last twenty years you've stayed locked in this mansion, and you’ll stay for another twenty, you've been an insolent child, a spawn of the devil ever since you were born”

 Aldo said with an anguished look, 

“I'll be gone for three days on a business trip, the last thing I want to see is your face, leave me be” 

Vincenzo looked back at the paper, walking backward near the door, and turned around and left, leaving the door open, as he walked down the hall he felt his father's glaring eyes following him. 

Chapter 8 

It continued to rain the next day, as his father left early around 5:00 am, the mansion felt quiet and clear of any evilness that surrounded the halls, it was like a fresh breeze of clean air that hit Vincenzo's face. 

He got up and quickly dressed, for he felt a good day would be at hand, three days of complete freedom he thought, no eyes or ears, just him and his mind.

 Vincenzo walked past the library and saw Canzo reading near the window again, the spot he adored because the sun would shine on the book. 

Canzo looked up and saw him pass by, but paid no attention to it, Vincenzo walked down his father's hall and again saw his black towering door, he stared at it for quite a while, and then proceeded to open it. 

As he walked in a cold breeze brushed his face, and instantly turning toward the paper from before which had still laid there without notice, he walked towards and picked it up, looking at it he realized it was a music sheet of an old song, without reading further, he swiftly stashed the sheet into his pocket and slipped out of his father's room, as if no one had never been noticed. Walking back to his room he passed by the library, Canzo still sitting there called out to him, 

“Has one been engulfed with happiness, or is this the morning doing its wonders” 

 Vincenzo popped his head back in the room and said 

“God has given me peace it seems”

 he smiled and walked away. He entered his room, walked to his chair by the window, sat, took out the sheet of paper, and began reading it. He was puzzled for some time, he sat there until the afternoon. Canzo walked by his room and saw him sitting there in deep thought, and knocked and said 

“Vincenzo you missed breakfast, and soon brunch”

He walked in and glanced at the notes on the paper, grabbed it from Vincenzo's hand, and said

 “once a fool always a fool, it seems the music sheet of notes is reversed”,

 “but why”

Vincenzo said 

“ It seems someone was playing around with the song for fun, the song is the Devil Trill Sonata”, 

Tartini Vincenzo said with a puzzled face, 

“yes,” 

Canzo said but it's only showing the ending of the song. Canzo looked at Vincenzo and said 

“It was stated that the devil visited Tartini's dream and played this song to him, some say it was a deal, others say it was only a silly dream, but the notes and difficulty of the song were not man-made” 

and who said that Vincenzo said

“I did”  

Canzo said. Canzo walked away and said 

“Don't miss dinner”

closing the door and leaving Vincenzo by himself with the notes of the devil.  

Chapter 9

A gloomy shadow rained over the mansion with a cast of doubt that washed through the halls leading to Vincenzo's room. He grabbed his Violin near the window and began playing the song in the correct version until he reached the altered part, he grabbed the sheet and played it, he played it so well that it rolled off his fingers with ease, and the sound was dreadful, bitter, but his mind and soul loved it, he felt happy for a moment, but then he realized it was the same sound that brought him to his knees, but for some reason it didn't bother him, and at that moment his conscious fell back to the abyss, he saw his eyes inside his head, he was flying away from his eyes, the visions of life was fading away. At that moment he heard a voice, the voice was soft and sad, yet it felt wicked, it was his voice, a shock came over him, confused, but he could not speak, his voice was taken from him, and given to the other. The other said 

“It seems you've played it again” 

Then laughing he said, 

“Your father is clumsy”. 

As the other was fading, he said to Vincenzo 

“She tried to kill you once, but failed miserably, as I stabbed her heart repeatedly, and the last thing she saw was your face, I shall leave you in this cage of despair child, and watch again as life fades through your eyes”.

 Canzo came by to remind Vincenzo that brunch was ready, he knew Vincenzo wouldn’t come, so he came himself. He saw Vincenzo sitting by the window with his violin in the playing position, Vincenzo said to Canzo with a voice of surprise 

 “Mentor you look like death has sat upon your shoulder” 

he walked towards Canzo's shoulder placed his hand on it, and said 

“Let us go eat before the cold engulfs it” 

He walked out down the hall and disappeared. Canzo walked towards the chair where he sat and saw the music sheet, picked it up, and put it in his pocket.

Chapter 10 

The house reeked of death and hopelessness for the past three days since Canzo last spoke to Vincenzo at the dinner table, these three days Canzo read by the window until the last day it had rained before Aldo came home. Canzo greeted him by the door and said “How was your trip, sir” 

Aldo said with a cold stare 

“ it was fine, though I found the violin performance after my meeting to end my day perfectly” 

at that moment for some odd reason, Aldo felt a chill down his spine like before, Canzo looked at Aldo confused, and said 

“Is everything alright” 

 “where is Vincenzo”

 Aldo said to Canzo,

“He’s somewhere in this house I think, he's been gloomy the past three days “ 

Aldo looked at Canzo and stared at him for one minute straight, and then quickly turned left and ran to his room. Canzo has never seen his master act like this, he’s only been with the family for ten years, but Canzo followed himself as well.  Aldo ran into his room searching everywhere for something, Canzo followed in and asked 

“ what's wrong sir” 

but he ignored him, Aldo turned his room upside down, then yelled at Canzo saying

“Has Vincenzo entered this room, and don't lie to me” 

“ No sir………”

 but then Canzo remembered Vincenzo walking away from the direction of his room when he was reading in the library.

“Sir he might have, he had this music sheet with him, it was the Devil's Trill Sonata, but the notes near the end of the song were changed” 

“ Does he still have it?”

 Aldo said with a scared voice,

“No”

 Canzo  pulled the sheet out of his pocket and gave it to Aldo 

Aldo held it in his hands looked up at Canzo and said 

“ Canzo listen to me carefully and don't disobey me” 

“ Yes master, of course, anything” 

Aldo said “ Vincenzo is not the person you think he is”

 Canzo was about to speak but Aldo cut him off with a cold glare 

“ The Vincenzo that walks around the house is that of the devil himself, and none of us can do anything about it” 

Canzo was confused, but they heard someone coming up the stairs down the hall, Aldo quickly said, 

“Hide in the closet, my life Canzo is at an end, I have a pistol at the dining room on display, you must take it”. 

Vincenzo walked in and said 

“has my father gone insane, talking to himself now, how pathetic” 

Before Vincenzo could say another word Aldo said 

“it seems my son has played the song, though I will never see him again, I will trust that my hate is not something he dies with”   

Vincenzo walked close to Aldo thrust a stab in the stomach and pulled a knife up to his heart, leaving his heart exposed to air, Canzo watched everything through the closet door openings, as Aldo fell to the floor, The other got close to Aldo’s face and said 

“Isn't it beautiful, how life in the eyes slowly fades away, I pray that you are watching Vincenzo”

 He got up looked around, and left closing the door. Canzo waited ten minutes before leaving the closet, he walked to Aldo's dead and cold body and closed his eyes. As he prayed to God, beads of sweat formed on his brow, and his trembling hands made it difficult to speak.

Chapter 11

Canzo left the room, gently closing the door behind him. He briskly strode down the hall until he encountered a maid carrying a tray of food for Aldo. 

"Hold on, miss, I'll take that," 

Canzo said quickly. 

The maid bowed and departed as he hurriedly put the food in the library. He needed to ensure no one approached the room at any cost, but he somehow needed to get that gun, at this point, he thought it was no use, the gun was most important. He walked into the dining room and saw it cased in the glass above Aldo’s seat. Before he could contemplate retrieving it, Vincenzo entered the room. He saw Canzo near Aldo’s seat and said 

“Mentor God himself has blessed us to meet, I pray your day has gone well”

“My day has been interesting” 

As his heart started to pound heavily he said to Vincenzo 

“What brings you into the dining room in the morning, you rarely eat breakfast” 

“Very true Canzo, I shall leave you be then while you eat by yourself, oh I forgot to ask I changed my decision I'll be leaving for Vienna, my father has inspired me so much, the last few days of silence gave me peace of mind”

Canzo bowed his head to Vincenzo and said 

“The changed man has truly changed” 

Vincenzo walked away, leaving Canzo alone. Canzo waited for a moment before his gaze settled on the glass case. He opened the hatch on the left and retrieved the gun, it was a weathered American Colt Navy revolver. Leaving the dining hall, consumed by the urgency to confront Vincenzo, Canzo scoured every corner but found no trace of him. As he made his way towards the main hall, a chilling sight caught his attention, a pool of blood near the jacket closet. Opening it, he discovered four maids lying lifeless, their throats gruesomely slit from one end to the other, he quickly closed the door and at that moment he heard a violin being played, Devil's Trill Sonata was echoed from the library, he slowly walked to the door and saw Vincenzo playing seated and faced to the window, Vincenzo said to Canzo as he walked in

 “ just like the dream, you and Tartini both gave me a face of disgust” 

He slowly walked to the chair and pointed the gun at his head while still playing the violin, Vincenzo said 

“It seems my time is up, but my mark will stain your life forever” 

As Canzo pulled the trigger in that split second The Other swapped, and Vincenzo cried out, his voice strained and barely audible, as if someone had ripped out his vocal cords. "No, Canzo," 

he managed to utter in a choked whisper."

 but the bullet was already discharged and Canzo did not hear the crying voice.  

The End 

e is up, but my mark will stain your life forever” 

As Canzo pulled the trigger in that split second The Other swapped, and Vincenzo cried out, his voice strained and barely audible, as if someone had ripped out his vocal cords. "No, Canzo," 

he managed to utter in a choked whisper."

 but the bullet was already discharged and Canzo did not hear the crying voice.  

The End