Sunlight streamed through the wide windows of the apartment, soft and golden. The smell of toasted bread and tea hung in the air. Akio sat cross legged on the matted floor beside the low dining table, a book resting lightly in his hands. Beside him, Aira was still halfway through her sandwich, eyes glued to the television as the news blared on.

  On screen, grainy footage replayed yesterday’s chaos: civilians trapped inside a collapsed building, mechanical drones swarming the perimeter. The broadcast narration was breathless with excitement.

  “The Dawn Hound has once again come to the rescue—wait, what’s this? He’s not alone! That’s the Dusk Hound, cutting through the machines alongside him! The Twin Hounds have appeared!”

  Aira leaned forward, crumbs scattering onto the table. “The Dusk Hound,” she said between bites, tone reverent. “Dawn’s longtime partner. Together they form the Twin Hounds.”

  Akio looked up from his book, gaze drifting to the television. Footage showed two figures moving in perfect harmony through the smoke: one cloaked in white, the other in black. The Dawn Hound—his other self—moved with effortless precision, while the Dusk Hound danced beside him, all lethal elegance and chaos. The black cloak, red and gold streaked mask, and the gleaming scythe painted a striking contrast against Dawn’s measured grace. Every motion between them was perfectly timed, terrifyingly fluid, as if choreographed by instinct.

  Aira rested her chin on her palm, eyes gleaming with intrigue. “Look at that synergy. Dusk has to be connected to Dawn somehow. A long time partner, maybe even a neural link or some kind of tech implant. There’s no way you could get coordination that flawless naturally.”

  Akio hid a small smile behind his cup of tea. “Some people just… click.”

  Aira nodded, still fixated on the screen. “Maybe, but at this level? The Twin Hounds are basically inseparable. They fight like they trust each other with their lives. They’ve been together since the first Hounds appearance, and even now they’re still the most feared duo on the planet.”

  Akio’s eyes softened as he set his cup down. On screen, the two figures disappeared into the smoke together, the news anchor’s voice swelling with awe. He could almost feel the phantom rhythm of battle in his muscles—the weight of Dusk’s movements, how naturally they fit beside his own.

  “Hmm,” Aira murmured, leaning back in her seat, lost in thought. “I wonder if they know who each other are in real life. They definitely have to, right? So if I can figure out who Dawn is, I’ll probably find Dusk’s identity too…”

  Akio turned a page, lips curving faintly.

  Not entirely wrong there.

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  He glanced at her over the top of his book. “Why not start with Dusk, then? Wouldn’t it work the same way?”

  Aira looked up at the ceiling, her expression thoughtful. “Yeah, maybe. But Dusk is scarier than Dawn. He’s unpredictable—ruthless, even. His record’s way messier. Just because they’ve worked together for years doesn’t mean they’re the same kind of person.”

  Akio’s gaze returned to his book, though his thoughts lingered on the screen, on the shadow who matched his every move without needing a word.

  “Fair enough,” he said quietly.

  Aira hummed, half to herself, already scribbling notes on a napkin. Akio watched her for a moment longer before returning to his reading, the faintest trace of amusement tugging at his mouth.

  If only you knew how close you were.

  “By the way,” he said casually, “Gabriel’s coming over today.”

  Aira looked up from the table, blinking. “Really? What are you guys even going to do?”

  He shrugged lightly, a small, unreadable smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “Nothing in particular. Just wanted to spend some time together.”

  Aira groaned and dropped her head onto her folded arms, her voice muffled but dramatic. “You two are so weird. I swear, Gabriel’s even weirder than you. Why are his eyes always closed? And why is he always so cheerful? It’s unsettling. You’d think being happy all the time is a good thing, but with him, it’s not. And every time he’s around, you get even more annoying! You’re both such tryhard nerds.”

  Akio hid his smile behind his teacup, pretending to sip to keep it from showing.

  She wasn’t wrong.

  Gabriel Veyloria had been his best friend since childhood—eleven years of shared chaos and perfectly synchronized mischief. They’d grown up together, pushing limits, pulling pranks, and somehow always managing to get away with it. Where Akio was precise and composed, Gabriel was unpredictable—an honor student who aced everything through sheer audacity rather than order. His essays would have memes in the footnotes and still get perfect scores. His presentations were half improvisation, half brilliance. He was, in Akio’s mind, a chaotic genius.

  And yes, the two of them absolutely enabled each other’s worst tendencies. Aira had every right to complain. When Gabriel was around, even Akio couldn’t resist slipping into the old rhythm of back-and-forth teasing and harmless trouble. They’d been partners in every sense of the word for as long as he could remember.

  He set his cup down with a quiet clink and leaned back slightly, watching the faint steam curl into the air.

  “He’s not that bad,” he said mildly, though his eyes betrayed quiet amusement.

  Aira squinted at him. “Says the guy who helped him turn the entire class presentation into a live action meme.”

  Akio’s mouth twitched. “It was educational.”

  She groaned again, burying her face back into her arms. “You’re both insufferable. I swear, you’re like two halves of a terrible idea.”

  Akio’s smile softened, his gaze turning distant for a moment. Even now, after all these years, he and Gabriel moved as if on the same wavelength—whether it was in academics, banter, or the unspoken coordination of their secret lives. They understood each other so well that words were rarely necessary. At school, they’d somehow built a reputation as a legendary academic duo, terrifyingly efficient and impossible to compete with. But beneath the easy smiles and casual excellence, they shared something far more dangerous.

  If anyone ever discovered who he really was, it wouldn’t take them long to realize who the Dusk Hound had to be.

  Akio’s gaze lingered on the cooling tea for a moment longer before he quietly flipped a page in his book, his expression returning to calm neutrality.

  “He’ll be here around noon,” he said, almost to himself.

  Aira waved a dismissive hand without looking up. “Great. Can’t wait.”

  ─ ? NEXT CHAPTER POV ? ─

  Akio