A young man nodded, pointing toward the end of the boulevard where a massive sound system had been rigged under the cover of darkness. "The second you hit the gas, Salvo. That's when the fuse lights."
Suddenly, the alley exploded into life. Strobe lights cut through the dark, and the shadows became dancers. Motorcycles popped wheelies alongside Salvo’s car, their engines harmonizing with the neomelodic trap beat. For those few minutes, the law of the city didn't matter—only the rhythm did.
He wasn’t alone. Dozens of shadows leaned against the crumbling stone walls of the alley, their faces lit only by the orange glow of cigarettes. They were waiting for the signal—the moment the rhythm would take over the streets. "Is everything ready?" Salvo asked, his voice low.
As his tires smoked and screamed against the asphalt, the bass dropped. It wasn't just music; it was a physical force—a "botto" that shook the glass in the window frames and made the ground vibrate.