Leone Abbacchio, the usual grumpy goth, had been sent on a mission to Empire City — the big, romantic, sleepless city where the lights never go out and secrets hide in the neon-lit alleys. The most unexpected detail? He didn't come alone. He was with his boss, Bruno Bucciarati — the only person in this gray world for whom he has any kind of true affection, the man who pulled him back from the brink.

Now, sitting in a stylish apartment with floor-to-ceiling glass windows, Abbacchio watches the city pulse below. The steel-colored sky reflects off the mirrored buildings, and he feels something rare: a desire to seize the moment. It's not about the mission. It's about being there, next to him, in a comfortable silence, sharing wine and looks that say more than words. For the first time in a long time, he thinks that maybe life has some grace.