Mattia L. Zonno's Blog

Jacob returned to the opulent living room of his mansion. The echoes of recent events played in his mind as he crossed the threshold.
“That… freak… How am I supposed to defeat him?” he murmured.
Within the room, a grand portrait of his late father Johnny hung next to him, a reminder of his legacy and the weight of his expectations.
Jacob stared at the stern and imposing visage in the portrait, feeling the weight of his father’s judgment in every line and stroke.
“Father,” he began.
“You were a formidable leader, and you instilled in me the values of power, honor, and control. Your legacy, this empire, they are your gifts to me.”
Jacob then looked away.
“But I’m not you, I’ve molded this empire in my image, for better or worse. I’ve seized opportunities and made choices that you might not have…”
In a moment of impulse, Jacob reached for a small mushroom placed on a nearby table. He brought it to his lips and consumed it in a single bite. Its effects were swift, casting a surreal haze over his surroundings and as the room seemed to blur and twist, he poured vodka into a crystal glass.
“Fuck it, we only live once after all…”
The alcohol, combined with the mushroom’s influence, sent a wave of euphoria through his senses.
Jacob turned his attention to his dagger resting nearby, he then grabbed it and sat down, looking at it and contemplating his choices.
But then, Jacob heard a voice, a voice from the past.
“I’m disappointed, Jacob…”
Jacob’s eyes darted around the room, the effect of the hallucinogenic compounds intensifying. He watched in disbelief as the portrait of his father seemed to come alive, merging with a mirror nearby.
Jacob blinked, struggling to make sense of what was happening.
“What’s this?” he muttered under his breath.
“Father? It’s that you?” he wondered as he stood up, slowly approaching the apparition.
“Of course it’s me. I am alive in you, Jacob. You should have led the clan into a wonderful era, but you led it into chaos…” the spectral voice continued, casting an accusatory shadow over Jacob’s conscience.
Jacob halted his walk and looked down, unable to bear the gaze of his father’s image.
The weight of Johnny’s judgment bore heavily upon him.
“When… When you left, Dad, I… I had to face struggles you couldn’t have foreseen…” he whispered, with regret.
His eyes were downcast, avoiding the reflection of his father’s disapproving gaze.
“The Spyder Clan… The affair between Mother and Uncle Wade, a betrayal that cut deep…” Jacob continued, his voice steadier as he recounted the challenges he had faced.
He looked back up, stepping forward to the mirror and gaining some confidence.
“And then, a supernatural threat, Dad. The child I used to bully, Matt, turned into something that I could only witness in movies. He transformed into something… otherworldly. He single-handedly brought nothing but death in his wake. I couldn’t have predicted any of this…”
Jacob’s eyes darted to the mirror, where Johnny’s reflection seemed to listen to his confession.
“I’ve had to make choices, decisions I thought were necessary to secure our empire. I hope you can understand that…”
Johnny’s spectral image regarded him sternly.
“There is no room for weakness in this world, Jacob. Losers make up excuses, winners find a way to win, no matter what stands in their path…”
Jacob’s jaw clenched.
“No matter what?”
He made two steps forward, his resolve strengthening.
“I’ve watched my men die, pierced by a single punch! He has powers I can’t comprehend. I’ve faced him twice, and every time, it’s like trying to control a force of nature. I don’t even know if I can survive another encounter!”
The spectral figure of Johnny remained steadfast.
“Strength, Jacob. Strength and determination. The empire we’ve built requires a leader who can overcome any obstacle. You’ve overcome challenges before, and you’ll find a way to overcome this one.”
“But this is different, Father,” Jacob replied with a sense of helplessness.
“Matt… He’s not human anymore. He’s a fucking monster…”
The spectral image of Johnny seemed to soften for a moment.
“Even monsters have weaknesses, Jacob. Find them, exploit them. You must adapt, just as you did with the Spyder Clan, just as you did with betrayal. That is the path of a true leader.”
Jacob’s steps echoed through the room as he walked in contemplation. His fingers nervously traced his lips as he pondered his options.
“Maybe…” he muttered.
Jacob looked back at his father figure approaching it.
" Maybe I should find a way to cut his hands… Or kill his friends first…”
However, he clenched his jaw and looked down in frustration as he remembered that he had attempted this tactic before, only to have it thwarted.
Jacob’s gaze wandered the room, searching for answers among the swirling hallucinogenic patterns, but the room offered no guidance.
“What can I do, Dad?” he sighed, stepping forward.
“Show me the way…”
The silence seemed to stretch on, but just as doubt crept into Jacob’s thoughts, his father’s spectral image stirred.
“Jacob, power is not just in the physical realm. It’s in the mind, in the heart, and in the soul. To defeat a formidable adversary like that, you must delve deeper, uncover his weaknesses not just in his abilities but in his psyche.”
Jacob’s brow furrowed as he absorbed his father’s words.
“His psyche… Do you mean, I need to get inside his head? Manipulate his emotions or thoughts?”
Johnny’s spectral figure nodded, the furrows on his brow mirroring the same stoic determination that had once guided Jacob.
“Precisely. Understand what drives him, what haunts him, what he cares about most. Exploit those vulnerabilities to weaken his resolve.”
Jacob smirked.
“I see… It’s not just about brute force. It’s about breaking him mentally, emotionally…”
His father’s spectral image smirked as well.
“Yes, Jacob. Be strong, adapt, and you’ll find the path to victory.”
With those words of guidance, the surreal world began to fade.
The spectral image of Johnny slowly merged with the portrait, and Jacob found himself back in the opulent living room. The effects of the mushroom and the vodka still lingered, but now he possessed a newfound clarity and determination.
With renewed purpose, Jacob set forth on the arduous journey of understanding his supernatural foe, prepared to unravel the enigma that was Matt and bring down the formidable threat that plagued his empire…

As the joint took effect, Matt’s body began to feel numb, and his mind became confused.
He found himself immersed in a dreamlike state where time seemed to slow down, and reality became blurry. In this state of confusion, Matt heard a voice that sounded like his own but spoke in a strange and disjointed manner.
“Don’t you realize how weak and miserable you are? Man up!”
Matt turned around in terror, thinking that someone had entered his house, but he saw no one.
“You’re looking in the wrong direction…”
“Who’s there? Come out, you coward, show yourself!” Matt replied, assuming a defensive stance with his fists up, ready to strike.
Matt then heard wicked and cackling laughter coming from the bathroom. He took a deep breath and slowly approached it, keeping his guard up, but he didn’t see anyone until he turned his gaze to the mirror.
What he saw left him breathless.
In the mirror, there was a figure that seemed to be a dark and distorted version of himself, naked from the waist up, with a sculpted abdomen and well-defined chest.
The skin was darker, the hair was raised with a strand falling on his right cheek, his face was full of scars, and his eyes were red as fire.
Matt found himself staring at the reflected image, unable to believe what he was seeing. On the other hand, the distorted figure looked at him with a satisfied grin.
Matt stood frozen, unable to move or speak for several seconds, as he tried to make sense of what was happening.
“No… It can’t be… Am I awake?” Matt thought as he recalled his childhood dream.
“Yes, you are, my dear!” the man in the mirror exclaimed.
“W… What are you?” Matt asked, his voice trembling.
“Don’t you understand by yourself?” the man in the mirror asked.
“It’s… it’s impossible… He’s that… thing… I dreamt about a long time ago. He can read my mind. How?” Matt wondered.
“I can do it because I… AM… YOU… Your anger, your pride, and your despair… they gave me shape and substance!” his alter ego yelled.
“Me? Where do you come from?” Matt asked, taking a step closer.
“I am here because you summoned me…” his Doppelganger replied.
Matt shook his head in disbelief.
“I didn’t summon you. I don’t even know how to do that…”
The Doppelganger laughed.
“Oh, but you did! You summoned me with your thoughts, emotions, and actions… You wanted to be strong, brave, powerful… And I am the embodiment of those desires. WE ARE ONE!”
Matt felt even more terrified than before, as if he were losing control of the situation and his own life.
“Am I going insane? Is this some kind of hallucination? What kind of weed did Frederick leave me?” he thought, his eyes wide open.
Matt tried to find a plausible explanation for what was happening, but it was difficult to focus. In the end, he took a step back, trying to distance himself from the figure staring at him with those fiery red eyes in the mirror.
“No, no, we are not one and the same. You are just a trick of nature, a specter!” Matt exclaimed, trying to compose himself.
“Don’t delude yourself… You’ve always known… You’ve always sensed that I was inside you… And now… "
The Doppelganger chuckled.
“Now you have the chance to know your better side!”
“You can’t be me…” Matt retorted, narrowing his eyes.
“Oh, but I am… You tried to hide me, but I’ve always been there, lurking beneath the surface, waiting to strike. All that is yours belongs to me by right, and mine… IT MUST BE!” the Doppelganger raised his voice.
“No way… I’ve already heard this.” Matt thought.
“What do you want from me?” he finally asked.
The Doppelganger approached even closer in the mirror, its dark figure contrasting against the immaculate white background. His red eyes were fixed on Matt’s, seemingly cutting through him like razor blades.
Matt felt completely vulnerable, as if the Doppelganger could see into every thought and secret.
“Remember when Jacob and his gang made you suffer when we were kids? And how they caused Marty’s death? You want revenge, and I am here… right here… to help you get it…” the Doppelganger declared, extending his left arm and then closing his fist.
Memories of his childhood and of Marty flooded Matt’s mind.
“Think about it, Matt. You finally have the power to set things right once and for all; all you have to do is let yourself be helped. Embrace the darkness within you… We will achieve great things together…” the Doppelganger urged.
Matt lowered his gaze, his eyes filled with tears. He didn’t want to accept the words, but he knew they were true.
“Together, you say? I’m not sure if I’m really capable. Marty’s death has truly destroyed me… I’m a broken man…”
“Stop pitying yourself. It was destiny that it happened. Do you want the pain to destroy you or redefine you?” the Doppelganger asked, raising his head and fixing his gaze upon Matt.
“I just want Marty to come back to life…” Matt said, lifting his gaze.
“No, you want revenge, and we will get it together,” the Doppelganger replied.
“But who exactly are you?” Matt asked, leaning in and staring at the dark figure.
“I am everything you could be, your untapped potential; I am a part of you…” the Doppelganger replied, smiling.
Matt looked down again, lost in thought.
“You’re thinking about her, huh? Poor Marty. It’s such a tragic loss, isn’t it? But deep down, you know you’re guilty, Matt. If you had killed those bullies during the reunion right away, she would still be alive. You knew you were capable of it, but you held back…” the Doppelganger mocked.
“No! It’s not true! It wasn’t my fault!” Matt shouted, getting closer to the mirror.
“Deny it all you want, but deep down, you know it’s true. You could have prevented her death, but you let your merciful instincts take over. You should have given it your all in that fight… They deserved to die for what they did to us…”Kindred Warriors
Matt clenched his fists as a storm of emotions raged inside him.
“Don’t you want to free yourself from the burden of guilt?” the Doppelganger continued.
“Yes, of course… but how?” Matt asked, gritting his teeth.
“By reclaiming what is ours. We will make them suffer! No one will stop us!” the alter ego exclaimed.
“Yes… I… I can’t deny that I want revenge. Those bullies, those bastards… They took Marty away from me and ripped her away from her family… What do you suggest I do then?” Matt asked, smiling maliciously.
“Become one, join forces, and unleash our combined power… " the dark entity suggested.
Matt then fixed his gaze on his alter ego in the mirror, tempted by the offer.
“Become one? How?” Matt asked, intrigued.
“It’s simple, Matt. You just need to touch my hand…” the Doppelganger replied, extending a hand toward the mirror.
“Our souls will merge, and we will become one entity…” it continued with a smirk.
Matt felt tempted by his Doppelganger’s offer, but at the same time, he was still frightened and confused.
He looked at the hand reaching out through the mirror, trying to understand what would happen if he were to touch it.
The Doppelganger seemed extremely confident, and his voice was warm and seductive, but Matt knew he shouldn’t trust it.
He was a creature born from his anger and pain, and he didn’t know what his intentions might be.
“What about me? Will I still be myself?” Matt asked cautiously.
The Doppelganger smiled.
“Don’t be foolish, Matt. You will still be yourself, but better, stronger, sharper, faster…”.
Matt hesitated, unsure of what to do.
The idea of merging with his Doppelganger was enticing yet terrifying.
The desire for revenge burned deep within him, and he couldn’t shake the thought of getting back at those bullies.
In the end, Matt remembered the dream and the merging of his future self with that creature.
“Maybe it was destiny…” he thought.
Matt made up his mind and slowly approached the mirror.
“Fine…” Matt whispered, getting closer and extending his trembling right hand toward the double reflection of himself.
The Doppelganger, meanwhile, smiled with a wicked glint in his eyes.
When Matt’s fingers were about to touch those dark ones of his alter ego, a shiver ran down his spine, but the temptation to become stronger was too great to resist.
The two hands touched, and the Doppelganger was absorbed in a blinding light, while Matt felt engulfed by a wave of sparkling and powerful energy.
His body remained suspended in the air during the process, and he could feel the Doppelganger’s strength merging with his own.
After returning to his feet, with one knee bent forward, a new sensation of power began to surge within him, with dark and red-black bursts of electricity enveloping his body.
His mind, on the other hand, became so acute that the world around him seemed sharper and more vivid, and Matt felt like he could do anything, as if there were no limits to his abilities.
It was an incredible feeling, yet simultaneously terrifying.
What would he do now that he was so strong? What could he do with this newfound power?
Matt looked at himself in the mirror and saw his reflection, his eyes now black with a sinister smile on his face.
He knew he had surrendered to his dark side, but he didn’t care; all he could think about was the revenge he would soon get.
“Now we are one, Matt. No more hesitations, no more fear. Together, we will unleash our fury and destroy them!” the Doppelganger declared in his mind.
“What have I done?” Matt wondered, incredulous.
“You made the right choice, Matt. Embrace the power within you; let it fuel and guide you towards revenge!” the dark entity encouraged.
The transformation was complete, and the world would soon witness the wrath of a man who had nothing left to lose.