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Akhil drove through the night.
The engine hummed endlessly as rain washed over the windshield, mile after mile disappearing behind him. Tokyo was far now—its blood, fire, and screams left behind. Only one destination mattered.
Tsu.
The rain there was gentle—nothing like Tokyo's chaos.
Hinata stood on her balcony, arms wrapped tightly around herself, watching the street below blur beneath yellow streetlights. She hadn't slept in days. Every siren on television, every breaking-news banner, every blurred face on the screen felt like it was calling a single name.
Akhil.
The doorbell rang.
Once.
Short. Precise.
Her body stiffened.
She didn't want to open it.
She wanted to believe it wasn't real.
The bell rang again.
Hinata swallowed and walked toward the door, each step heavier than the last. Her hand rested on the knob as she whispered, almost praying—
"Please… don't let it be him."
She opened the door.
He stood there.
The monster from the news.
And something more.
Akhil looked thinner. Tired. His eyes were hollow, like they had seen too much and decided never to forget. There was no blood this time. Clean clothes. Calm posture.
"Hi, Hinata," he said softly.
Her breath caught. "A-Akhil—?!"
She screamed.
Akhil moved instantly, covering her mouth and pulling her inside. The door slammed shut behind them. He bolted it.
Hinata bit his hand hard and shoved him away, creating distance. She ran to the kitchen, grabbed a knife, and pointed it at him with shaking hands.
"Stay away!" she screamed.
Akhil raised both hands slowly. "Don't worry. I won't kill you."
"You monster!" she cried. "I know you—!"
Akhil's eyes darkened. "I'm a monster now. Not before."
Hinata froze. "What… what were you before?"
He answered without hesitation.
"A lover.
A son.
A student."
Her voice trembled. "What do you mean?"
"I never wanted to be the man standing in front of you," Akhil said quietly. "I hate him. But people… they left me no choice."
Hinata swallowed. "Are you trying to manipulate me?"
"No," he replied calmly. "And don't worry. Your life was someone's last wish."
Her breath shattered. "So… you really killed Akira?"
Tears streamed down her face.
Akhil nodded. "He forced me."
"Don't lie!" she cried. "I knew him. He was different. He was kind."
Akhil's voice dropped. "That 'kind' person killed my entire family. Do you even know why he was different?"
Hinata couldn't speak.
"He was unstable," Akhil continued. "Like me. A psychopath. He hated families because his own treated him like garbage. That's why he killed them."
Hinata's legs began to tremble.
She remembered the families in Tsu.
The deaths.
The timing.
"But… he loved—" she whispered.
"Yes," Akhil interrupted. "He loved you more than his life. His last wish was that you wouldn't die."
Hinata collapsed against the wall. "Why, Akira…?"
Akhil said nothing. He just stood there.
After a moment, Hinata wiped her tears and looked at him—really looked.
"You were weak," she said quietly. "You couldn't handle the trauma. That's why you became this."
"No," Akhil replied. "I held myself together until the very end. You can call me unlucky."
"You came to Japan for me," she said.
"No," he answered. "I came for revenge."
"Revenge…?"
"For my sweetheart."
Silence.
Hinata's voice broke. "Even after all this… I'll never forgive you. You killed innocent people."
Akhil didn't deny it. "If you compare… I killed fewer innocents than Akira. Even if my count is higher."
"Is that an achievement to you?" she snapped.
"No," he said. "Justice. Or if you prefer—natural selection."
Another silence.
Then Akhil turned toward the door.
"I should go," he said softly. "I want to end it soon. Be happy, Hinata. We won't meet again."
He left.
The sound of his footsteps faded down the stairs, then the engine, then nothing.
Hinata stood there, shaking.
The room felt empty.
But she wasn't.
Not anymore.
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