A Lie

" It is just no one and I think I am a bit hungry. What is there ready?" Massimo stated. 

"Massimo, honey, honey" she said softly, trying to keep her voice steady as she uttered his name.

Elena stepped into the room, her concern deepening. "Massimo, you’ve been saying that for days now. You missed work again today. How many warnings has your boss given you?"

Massimo waved a hand dismissively, his attention already back on the book. "Work doesn’t matter right now, Elena. Don’t you see? This is bigger than any job. This is history, this is discovery. This is what I want to discover, and we will be rich soon, and we will not work anymore. "

Massimo paced the length of his study, the dim light casting long shadows that danced across the walls. His thoughts were a tangled mess, consumed by the relics and the cryptic message from the anonymous caller. The study, usually his sanctuary, felt oppressive tonight. He could still feel the weight of the old books and ancient artifacts pressing down on him, urging him to uncover their secrets.

Downstairs, the sounds of Elena bustling in the kitchen drifted up, a stark reminder of the normalcy he was trying to maintain. He knew he couldn’t let her in on the full extent of his obsession with the relics, not after everything they’d been through. The last thing he wanted was to drag her into the dangerous world he was teetering on the edge of.

“Massimo, Massimo!” Elena’s voice called up the stairs, warm and inviting. “Supper is almost ready. Are you coming down honey?”

He paused, taking a deep breath to steady himself. “Just a minute, Elena,” he replied, trying to keep his voice casual. “I need to finish something up here.”

“Alright, but don’t take too long,” she said, her voice tinged with concern. “You have been up there all day.”

Massimo ran a hand through his hair, his fingers brushing against the stubble on his chin. He could not shake the feeling that time was running out. The anonymous caller’s warning about the dangerous troll weighed heavily on his mind. He needed to find the fantasy realm and secure the relics before it was too late.

He glanced at his phone, hoping for a response, but there was nothing. His call had gone to voicemail, and the silence was maddening. Whoever had contacted him knew more than they were letting on, and Massimo felt like he was groping in the dark, searching for a way out.

Desperation gnawed at him as he turned back to the desk, where maps and ancient texts lay scattered. His eyes scanned the cryptic symbols and faded parchment, searching for any clue that might lead him to the realm. He knew the answer was here, hidden in plain sight, but his mind was clouded with worry.

Elena’s footsteps echoed softly on the stairs, and Massimo quickly gathered the papers, stuffing them into a drawer. He could not let her see the extent of his research; it would only worry her more. As the door creaked open, he forced a smile onto his face.

“Hey,” Elena said, poking her head in. Her eyes softened as she looked at him. “I made your favorite. Come on, you need to eat.”

Massimo’s heart ached at the sight of her. She was his anchor, the one constant in the chaos of his life. He hated keeping secrets from her, but he knew it was for her own safety. “I will be right down,” he promised, walking over to kiss her on the forehead. “Just let me finish up here.”

Elena frowned slightly but nodded. “Okay, but it does not take too long. I will keep your plate warm.”

As she left the room, Massimo felt a pang of guilt. He watched her go, knowing that once supper was over, he’d be sneaking back up there to continue his search. He had no choice. The stakes were too high. 

Supper was a quiet affair, the usual conversation replaced by a heavy silence. Elena tried to engage Massimo in small talk, but his mind was elsewhere, consumed by thoughts of the relics and the anonymous caller. He responded mechanically, nodding and smiling when appropriate, but he could tell Elena sensed his distraction.

Afterward, as Elena cleared the table, Massimo excused himself, claiming he needed to make a quick call. He retreated to the study, closing the door behind him. His phone buzzed with a new voicemail notification, and his heart raced as he pressed play. After he listened to the message, he made his way out through the back door. 

Back at the apartment, Elena was waiting for him, worry etched across her face. “Where did you go, Massimo? I was getting worried.” Elena stated, worried when Massimo came back in the middle of the night after hours of being out. 

Massimo took her hands in his, his eyes pleading. “Elena, I need to tell you something. Something important,” Massimo stated with a hoarse voice. 

“What is it? You first tell me that you are hungry, that you want me to make you something to eat, and the next thing I come to find out is that you are not even in the house. You left without telling me? You are back at midnight, and what is this thing that you want to tell me? " Elena inquired with a frustrating tone in her voice.