The world narrowed to two lanes and a pair of screaming engines.
The LFA's V10 sang through the night, a razor-edged symphony echoing against concrete walls as Kaito pushed it harder than ever before. Beside him, Celeste Veyron's black Ferrari F8 was pure aggression—its growl deep, its acceleration merciless.
Mari's voice whispered in the back of his mind: You lied.
Reika's voice followed: You can't run on silence forever.
But he had no room for thoughts—only speed.
Freight District, Midnight
Spectators lined the outer walls and rooftops, camera phones capturing every flash of light and plume of smoke. The course was brutal—tight hairpins through abandoned dockyards, sudden S-curves along the river, and a final straight that dared racers to test their engines.
Kaito downshifted into a high-speed drift, rear tires hissing on wet pavement. The LFA slid perfectly sideways, the city's neon reflecting off its black-and-red paint like liquid fire.
Celeste took the outside line, tires spitting water as she countersteered flawlessly. Her voice crackled through the shared comms.
"You are good… but can you survive against someone who lives at 300 km/h?"
Kaito smirked, gripping the wheel tighter. "Watch me."
On the spectator line, Mari's heart hammered in her chest as she watched her brother disappear around a corner in a blur of taillights. She gripped the cold metal railing, her knuckles white.
Reika leaned against a crate beside her, arms crossed. "He's in his element."
Mari swallowed. "I… I didn't know he was like this."
Reika glanced sideways at her, voice teasing but sharp. "You still think you're the center of his world? Out here, speed is his first love."
Mari's lips trembled. "Then I'll learn to love it too."
Reika's eyes widened slightly at that, but she said nothing.
Kaito hit the final hairpin, Celeste barely a car length behind. Her Ferrari's engine roared as she attempted an inside overtake. Their side mirrors nearly kissed, sparks flying as the cars brushed a guardrail.
He felt the LFA's rear tires slip for a heartbeat too long—his pulse spiked. But instinct saved him. A perfect countersteer. A throttle tap. The car straightened like a loyal beast.
The final straight stretched ahead. Two cars. One finish.
"Push it," Reika's voice rang in his head, though she wasn't on comms. "Show them who you are."
Kaito slammed the pedal.
The LFA screamed past the Ferrari, inches ahead.
The checkered lights of the finish line approached—
Then, a flash of white light.
A van, barreling out of a side road, unaware of the illegal race. Horn blaring.
Kaito's eyes widened. Time slowed.
He swerved hard, tires shrieking. Celeste followed, barely missing the van. The LFA fishtailed, kissed the barrier, and spun in a blur of smoke and sparks—
CRASH!
The world went black for half a second.
When Kaito's eyes opened, he was sideways across the finish line. The Ferrari stopped just ahead. Celeste's face behind the helmet was unreadable.
The crowd roared. Cameras flashed. Z3N's voice boomed: "Winner… by technicality… Celeste Veyron!"
Kaito sat in the driver's seat, chest heaving, sweat mixing with rain. His LFA bore fresh scars, the right mirror hanging loose, but it was still alive.
Then he saw them.
Mari, sprinting across the lot toward him, tears streaming.
Reika following, slower, eyes locked on the wrecked LFA.
Kaito opened the door, stumbled out.
Mari crashed into him, hugging him tight. "Don't you ever scare me like that again!" she cried, her voice breaking. "I… I can't lose you. Not like this."
Reika stood a few feet away, silent. Watching. Something unreadable flickered in her gaze—worry, jealousy, admiration, all tangled.
Celeste walked over, unzipping her helmet. She smirked, holding out a hand. "You almost had me, Phantom Redline. Almost."
Kaito took her hand reluctantly, the weight of his double life pressing heavier than ever.
Because Mari had seen the danger. Reika had seen the fear. And the world of speed had seen his heart.
And the night was far from over.