The symphony of shadows

Welcome to The Symphony of Shadows, the official sequel to Silencer.

For those who followed Draco, Nova, Stefan, and Tatiana in the first book—thank you for coming back. You’ll see that twenty years of peace haven’t quite washed away their past. But this story belongs to the heirs: Aria and Nikolai.

They were raised in the light, but as the saying goes... when you cut off the head of a Hydra, two more grow back. Get ready for high-tech heists, rivals-to-lovers tension, and the secrets their parents tried to bury.

Warning: Expect slow-burn chemistry, sharp tongues, and a countdown that won’t stop for anyone.

Happy reading! — Elena K.

***

It was a peaceful morning, Nova was cooking the usual breakfast, or you can call it, a feast. Pancakes, juices, coffees - espresso, cappuccinos- fruits, of course grapes, eggs, bacon and sandwiches. Of course the first one who comes through the doors is Draco, older but the grey curly hair was his way to say that he still got it. He hugged Nova from behind and placed a kiss on her neck. She smiled. Nova let her hair loose. Ageing was still on her side. Draco often told her that she is like a splendid red wine. tasty but firm, sweet with a hint of cinnamon. This peaceful morning ended abruptly by a high pinch coming from the basement.

“Your daughter might break the office again” Draco said while he was laughing.

“ She is not only mine, Draco, and you, as I recall, said that she has to learn to fight.”

“Of course she should learn to fight, but not destroying the computer room, everytime the screen says “Access Denied””

Nova stopped herself, as soon as she saw Nico coming to the kitchen.

“She destroyed the room again ? “ Nico said while he took an apple and bit it.

“Don’t hear you mocking her again, or did you forget about the rose tattoo that she gave you the last time? “ Draco pointed out.

Nico placed his hand on the right side of his neck. He hadn’t forgotten it, he couldn’t. He clearly remembered it, it was 3 years ago after one of their enormous fights, she ended up sedating him and gave him a rose tattoo on his neck. They stopped talking to each other for a year. Apparently the only way they spoke that entire year was when they fought together or strictly professionally. Nico’s parents - Stefan and Tatiana- laughed their ass off, and took bets with Nova and Draco on who is going to last longer. The winner was Nico.

“I should go, Dad want to do drills with me, so keep up with the monster in the basement” said Nico as he was leaving the kitchen”

“I heard that, you moron” Aria screamed as she entered the room from the secret passage behind the selves”

“I haven’t said it like a secret, you beast! and take a shower, you stink” Nico said and he closed the front entrance.

“I do not stink, you imbecile. Mama do i stink ?” Aria asked her mother.

“We have talked about this, Aria, you have to take care of yourself- there is so much more in life than coding” Nova placed her hand in her hair.

“I know mama but..” Draco stopped her, “Aria, listen to us, you are young, only twenty and you either fight with Nico, or you are in your hole hacking and programming. You are not only your brilliant mind sweetheart, you know how much we love you.”

“I know dad, the message is clear, you took his side again. Good morning both of you”

Aria left the kitchen in a long step and went to her room.

“I know my son irritated her again,” Tatiana said while she entered the room. “Maybe I should talk to him or should we move out?”

“Tati , don’t be ridiculous, you know them, they are going to deal with it. Don’t worry” Nova said and she passed her an espresso.

“I hope so, I don’t want to deal with bodies tonight at the party” Tatiana said.

***

The stone barn at the edge of the property didn’t house wine barrels or tractors. It was a cathedral of matted floors, heavy bags, and a silence so thick it felt like a physical weight.

Stefan stood in the center, his frame still as massive and imposing as it was the day he walked out of the Pit. He didn’t look like a man in his fifties; he looked like a mountain that had learned how to breathe.

“You’re thinking about her again,” Stefan said, his voice a low rumble. He hadn’t moved, but his eyes followed Nikolai’s hands.

Niko was wrapped in hand-wraps, his knuckles hitting the heavy bag with a rhythm that was slightly off. “I’m thinking she’s going to get herself killed one day because she doesn’t know when to shut the laptop.”

“And you think your job is to stand between her and the world,” Stefan countered. He stepped forward, closing the distance instantly. “But you’re hesitating. You’re holding back, because you’re afraid of the beast.”

Stefan swung—a blindingly fast hook.

Niko ducked, the air whistling over his head. He countered with a strike to Stefan’s ribs, but he pulled the punch at the last millisecond.

Stefan grabbed Niko’s arm, twisted it, and sent him sprawling onto the mat. “Again. And this time, don’t play at being a bodyguard, Nikolai. Be the shadow. Your mother didn’t teach you to “protect”. She taught you to end the threat.”

Niko stood up, wiping a bead of sweat from his eye. He touched the rose tattoo on his neck—the mark of his greatest failure and his deepest obsession.

“If I let it out, Dad... if I really stop holding back,” Niko’s voice was dark, “I don’t think I can go back to being the guy who pours wine for tourists.”

Stefan smiled, a cold, knowing expression. “The vines were for us, Nikolai. For you and Aria... the world is going to need the shadows.”

***

Aria slammed her bedroom door, the argument in the kitchen still ringing in her ears. A beast? An imbecile? Nikolai had a way of stripping away her brilliance until she felt like nothing more than a frustrated child.

She walked over to her vanity, her eyes catching the reflection of the massive server towers humming in the corner of her room—her real sanctuary. But she didn’t sit down at the keyboard. Not yet.

Tonight was the harvest gala. Tonight, she had to be the “perfect daughter” of the Erebi estate.

She pulled the black silk dress from its hanger. It was a masterpiece of minimalism—high-necked and modest from the front, but when she turned, the back disappeared entirely, plunging down to the small of her back in a daring, open cut. It was the kind of dress that whispered of secrets and shadows.

With practiced, impatient fingers, she gathered her dark hair, twisting it into a messy but beautiful bun at the nape of her neck. A few loose strands framed her face, softening the sharp, calculating look in her eyes.

She looked at herself—really looked. She saw Nova’s elegance. She saw Draco’s defiance.

And then, she saw the faint, glowing blue light of her laptop on the nightstand. One last check. Only a black screen.

Aria reached out, her thumb hovering over the trackpad, but the sound of her father’s voice calling her name from downstairs stopped her.

“Coming!” she yelled, her voice steady.

She grabbed her heels and walked out, the silk of her dress swishing against her legs. She didn’t know that the black screen had just changed color to a blood-red. She didn’t know that the access denied was no longer a possibility. A clock started to go downward… 01-02-99, 01-02-98…

She only knew that tonight, she was going to make Nikolai regret every time he called her a monster.