The training grounds were silent, kissed only by the early morning mist and a faint breeze rustling the banners. Kaito had barely opened his eyes after a restless night of dreams — shadows whispering in unfamiliar voices — when instinct pulled him outside.
He expected solitude.
Instead, he found Kurumi.
Alone. Focused. Already throwing darts at a wooden target with terrifying rhythm — thunk-thunk-thunk — not a single miss. Sweat ran down his face, yet his eyes burned with a kind of obsession that made Kaito pause.
"You're up early," Kaito said cautiously.
Kurumi didn't turn, only spoke between throws.
"You're late."
Kaito chuckled dryly. "The match isn't until tomorrow."
Kurumi finally turned. "Then you should already be training for the one after."
There was no mockery in his voice. Only truth. Kaito felt a flicker of discomfort. Was this what made Kurumi so dangerous? This... hunger?
Still, Kaito stepped up beside him. "Mind if I join?"
Kurumi gave a small nod, and for a few minutes, they trained in relative silence — two rivals, two paths, one target. But then, something shifted in the air.
Footsteps. Soft. Intentional.
From the mist emerged Arisa.
Her dark violet cloak swayed lightly as she walked. Her eyes — sharp, yet curious — moved between the two boys.
"Didn't expect to find both of you here. Early birds... or hunted prey?"
Kurumi raised an eyebrow. "That depends. Are you the predator?"
Arisa smirked, lowering her hood. "Depends on the day."
Kaito watched her carefully. There was something different about her — as if she knew more than she let on. Yet there was no malice, only mystery.
She walked to a nearby dartboard and, without asking, pulled out three darts from her pouch.
"Care if I join?"
Neither protested.
What followed was an unspoken rhythm. Throws, glances, short remarks. No one fully opened up, yet there was a strange unity in their silence — the calm before storms none of them could name.
Kaito felt something stir within his chest — a whisper of energy, or maybe doubt.
He looked at the black card resting in his pocket. It felt heavier than usual.
And from the corner of his eye, he noticed Arisa glance at it... just for a moment.
Then she smiled.
"Let's see who misses first."