Third-Person POV

Akira made her way downstairs for breakfast, hoping food would wake her up since sleep had eluded her the night before. Her boss’s visit-- her elder brother— last night had left her baffled.

At least now she knew where the name Luna had come from. He had given it to her. The way he had spoken to her last night, thinking she was asleep, had stirred something deep inside her.

The smell of bacon and eggs reached her before the sight of them. As she entered the kitchen, her steps noiseless, Diana looked up and smiled warmly.

“Good morning, Akira,” she greeted, flipping the bacon.

“Morning,” Akira answered flatly.

This had become their quiet routine. She sat down as Diana placed a plate of eggs and bacon in front of her. Eiran's absence didn’t go unnoticed.

“Where’s Eiran?” she asked, taking her first bite.

“He had an important business meeting today,” Diana explained.

The kitchen felt oddly empty without him. Akira ate in silence, only for it to be broken moments later by the thunder of feet down the stairs.

“I won!” Kai’s voice rang out as he hugged Diana from behind, just before Leo slammed into them both.

“Boys,” Diana said sternly. They instantly backed off.

“Sorry, Mom,” Leo mumbled as he took a seat beside Akira.

“I won,” Kai gloated, sticking out his tongue at his brother before opening the fridge.

The next second, he froze. “Holy—”

He pulled out a bag of ice cream.

“Where did these come from?” Leo sprang from his seat, eyes locked on the stash.

“Mom, you got them?”

“No,” Diana looked just as puzzled.

Akira decided to end the mystery “Eiran got these.”

Both boys snapped their heads toward her.

“Eiran?” “Eiran?” they echoed in disbelief.

“Yeah. We went to an ice cream shop, and he bought some for you, too,” she explained.

Leo wasted no time, tearing one open and taking a bite. “Damn, this some good stuff—”

His words were cut off by the sharp commands of Sebastian as he entered the kitchen, barking orders into his phone.

“-die. Do your fucking job,” he snapped before ending the call and grabbing a plate for himself.

“Good morning,” Diana greeted him just as warmly as she had Akira.

“Morning,” he responded flatly, scooping eggs and bacon onto his plate.

Diana’s eyes flicked to something in the corner. “What’s this?”

Everyone turned. A small, reflective object lay near the trash can. Sebastian moved first, picking it up and tossing it into the bin without a second glance.

“Piece of glass,” he said before taking the seat farthest from Akira and everyone else.

“Where did that come from?” Kai asked, munching on his ice cream.

No one answered, but Diana’s sharp voice broke the silence. “Sebastian.”

“I dropped a glass yesterday,” he said easily, not looking up from his plate.

Akira focused on her food, trying not to let the memory of last night replay in her head. The desperate voice of her boss—no, not her boss. Her brother. The boss was here, now.

After breakfast, Leo asked if they could take their bikes to school since Eiran wasn’t home. Diana agreed on the condition that they wouldn’t speed.

Eiran’s POV

By the time the meeting ended, it was well into the afternoon. I had secured a once-in-a-lifetime deal, expanding our business into multiple new territories, both domestic and international.

Stepping out of the building, I made my way toward my car. Now, it was time to head to base. Sebastian needed to be briefed on our new ventures.

My last memory of him was from the night before. He hadn’t so much as glanced at Akira when we returned, yet I had seen the flicker of protectiveness in him when she seemed hurt.

I might be overly optimistic, but maybe—just maybe—Akira could bring back him. Not the boss, Sebastian. Our older brother. Seb.

Upon arriving at the base, I headed straight inside. Violet looked up from her computer and smiled.

“Good afternoon, Mr. Volkov.”

“Morning, Vi,” I greeted, nodding toward her bright dress. “Yellow today?”

She huffed. “It’s lemon, not yellow.” She was wearing a lemon coloured dress which complimented her dark skin extremely well along with an orange and yellow bandana and some lemon shaped earrings.

“It suits you,” I said, then asked, “Where’s your boss?”

She gestured toward the lower levels. “Should be down in the cells.”

I sighed. Of course he is.

The screams grew louder as I descended. By the time I reached the last cell, I found him—calmly burning a man’s arm.

Sebastian never tortured with patterns. Just when one thought they had figured him out, he would find a new way to break them. And I'd be lying if I said it didn’t scare me to see him like this.

I gestured to a nearby soldier. The poor guy hesitated but finally stepped forward.

“S-Sir?”

Sebastian didn’t respond.

“Sir?” the soldier repeated, louder this time.

After the third attempt, Sebastian finally looked up, his expression murderous. “What?”

The soldier barely held himself together. “Eiran, sir. He’s here.”

Sebastian’s gaze shifts to me, landing on the documents in my hand. Without a word, he turns back to the prisoner.

“Don’t let him die,” he orderes before walking out. I followed.

His sleeves have blood splatters at places and his hands are painted red with blood in every crevice. We get in the elevator but no one makes a move to break the silence. We enter his office and I take a seat on the couch while he goes to the joint bathroom to clean up.

He comes out after a while with clean hands but the white shirt still has some drops of red on it which he conveniently ignores. He sits down at his table and takes a swig of water from the glass.

I slide over the documents. “New branches in Japan, Australia, Russia, Romania, and here.”

He said nothing, scanning each page with his usual stare.

“Why Russia?” he finally asked, his voice impassive.

I was ready.

“We’re powerful enough to dominate there,” I answered. “And I’ve already found clients for our first arms export.”

The discussion stretched for hours. He spoke to me as he would a business partner, not a brother. But I had grown used to that.

As we wrapped up, I asked, “So, when’s the ball?”

“next week”

“You’re announcing Akira then?”

“Yes”

Leo’s POV

After school, we got on our bikes and rode home.

I had hesitated yesterday, scared to ask Mom for my pills because of Kai. He always interfered. He never understood that I needed to control my anger—or I might hurt someone. Maybe even him.

He acted like my emotions were the most important thing in the world, like I needed to feel. But I had told him before: it was better to be numb than to feel the rage lurking inside me.

I decided I’d ask Mom the second we got home.

Once we parked our bikes, we headed inside. Akira, Kai, and I went to our rooms, but I quickly threw my bag across mine and stepped out.

I searched the house before finally finding Mom in her office. Should have checked here first.

I knock.

“Come in,” her voice called.

I shut the door before taking the seat opposite her.

She was on the phone, gesturing for me to wait. When she hung up, she smiled at me. “What’s up, Leo?”

“My pills are out. Can you get me more mom?”

Her smile faded slightly. “Are you sure, сын (son)?”

“Yes, Mom. I’m better off with them.” I force a smile.

“You could try therapy—”

“I’m fine mom,” I cut in, irritation bubbling.

She narrowed her eyes. “Ты зависим, Leo?” (Are you addicted, Leo?)

“The fuck?!” Anger surged before I could stop it. My fist slammed onto the desk. “No, I’m not!”

She didn’t flinch. Didn’t even look fazed. “I’ll get you your medicine,” she said, voice steady. “But you’re going to therapy.”

“I don’t want to!” The chair scraped loudly as I shoved it away.

“You are going—”

The door creaked open.

Kai.

He peeked in, then calmly walked inside, picked up the chair I had knocked over, and placed it back in its original spot before turning to Mom.

“Mom, you’re not getting him those pills.”

“Kai, don’t intervene.” I clenched my fists, trying - and failing - to keep my voice level.

“No, Leo.” He turned to me. “Those pills don’t just kill your anger. They kill everything else, too. You can’t even feel when you’re on them. And that emptiness kills you. All that remains is the shell of you.”

“Shut up, Kai!” My control snapped. The paperweight flew before I could think, smashing against the wall.

Mom’s voice remained calm but I could decipher the hurt and guilt in her eyes “Leo?”

“What?!” My breath came sharp and fast. Breathe. Fucking breathe.

“Go cool off,” she said, her voice steady. “Come back when you’re ready to talk sensibly.”

My nails dug into my palms as I stormed out, slamming the door behind me.

The garden was my only refuge. The scent of tulips, the mix of citrus and honey in the air, the dampness of the grass—it always helped. But today, nothing could stop my thoughts.

I almost hit Kai again.

And the way I spoke to Mom…?

Shit. Shit. Shit.

She's going to be so disappointed.

What the fuck was wrong with me? Why couldn’t I just be normal? Why did I always ruin everything?

A monster.

I was a monster.

A monster who hurt his family. A monster who didn’t deserve to feel.

Those pills were the only way to tame it. The only way to keep everyone safe from me.

A tear burned its way down my cheek, but I refused to let another follow.

“Leo?” A quiet voice pulled me from my spiral.

My breath hitched. “Hmm?”

“It’s time for practice,” Akira said hesitantly.

I swallowed the lump in my throat, clearing it before I spoke. “I’ll be there in a minute.”

She hesitated for only a second before turning and walking away.

I took another deep breath. Then another. I forced all the emotions down, locking them away.

By the time I walked back inside, Kai and Akira were waiting, both occupied with their phones. Neither looked up.

Good.

I looked at my reflection in the mirror as I changed. A pair of bloodshot eyes stared back at me.

Eiran wasn’t home, so we’d take our bikes. I strapped on my helmet and headed out.

They were already on their bikes. Without a word, I started mine.

At least my bike didn’t hate me. At least I still had that.

Third-Person POV

The three of them entered through the glass doors of the base. Kai headed off toward the IT sector without a word—his training only happened twice a week.

Akira and Leo weaved through the halls, heading toward the training section.

Leo had felt awkward at first, being trained by someone younger than him. But over time, he had adjusted. He didn’t see Akira as his sister when they practiced. He saw her as his trainer.

Today was combat first.

Everyone wrapped their hands and got to work. Akira moved through the crowd, correcting stances and techniques. Then, the sparring rounds began.

“I’m going,” Leo announced, stepping into the ring.

His opponent struggled to keep up. Leo was relentless, his punches coming fast, his movements sharp.

Akira had always known he was skilled, but every time she watched him fight, she was impressed all over again.

Then, something changed.

The man whispered something into Leo ear, something she couldn’t hear. But whatever it was, it sent him into a blind fury.

His form slipped. His precision wavered. He was still strong, still fast - but now, he was reckless. The man managed to get a hit or two in before Leo came down on him.

Hard.

The man dropped, unconscious. But Leo didn’t stop.

Couldn’t.

Akira cursed and jumped in, dragging the body out of the way-leaving herself in Leo’s path.

Shit.

His fist connected with her abdomen before he even registered it was her.

She spun around, eyes burning with frustration. “What the fuck?”

Leo didn’t seem to hear. His fists were up, his body still moving.

She had no choice.

She fought.

Their skills were evenly matched, each blow countered, each attack met with precision.

“Leo,” she gritted out as he landed a hit.

No response.

Then, something shifted. His stance faltered. His eyes flickered with realization.

Akira took the opening.

Her fist slammed into his abdomen, knocking the air from his lungs.

Leo stumbled back, gasping. His gaze fell to his hands—wrapped, bloodied.

Akira noticed the way his shoulders tensed. The shame.

“Go away,” she gritted, pushing past her own anger.

Leo didn’t hesitate. He jumped out of the ring and disappeared into the crowd.

It was a long time before he came back.

By then, it was time for shooting practice.

Kai arrived, slipping into place beside Leo without noticing the stillness in him. He greeted him as usual and got to work.

Akira, meanwhile, practiced with two guns, firing at moving targets with cold precision.

Leo barely looked at her.

Third-Person POV

After the last training session, they made their way outside. The three of them headed to their bikes.

Leo welcomed the escape. The wind, the road, the blur of the world around him—it was the only thing that made him forget.

For a little while, at least.

---

Back home, Sebastian and Eiran’s cars were already parked in the driveway.

Without a word, Akira, Leo, and Kai entered the house and went their separate ways.

Akira went to her bathroom, turning on the tap to wash her hands and face. As the water rushed over her skin, a sharp sting spread across her palm.

She flinched.

The cut from yesterday. The bandage must have come off during the day.

The wound was raw, likely aggravated from the training. She rinsed her hands anyway, ignoring the burning sensation before stepping into the shower.

after the shower, she headed downstairs to the kitchen. ---

Leo entered the kitchen while Akira drank a glass of water. He was freshly changed, hair still damp, but his expression was unreadable.

He moved straight to one of the high cabinets, rummaging for something.

Akira set down her glass as he turned toward her. “Um… Akira?”

She raised an eyebrow. “Yes?”

His hesitation was unfamiliar. The guilt in his eyes plausible. He wouldn’t meet her eyes.

“I’m… sorry. For..—”

“For almost ruining my authority and respect?” she cut in, her voice sharp.

Challenging your trainer or fighting them was seen as a challenge to their authority. It diminished the respect the soldiers would have for their leader.

Leo swallowed hard. “Yeah. I—I wasn’t myself.” His voice wavered slightly before he quickly cleared his throat.

He walked over and shoved a chocolate bar into her hands. “I’m sorry,” he muttered, then rushed out before she could say anything.

---

Later, the chocolate lay abandoned on the other side of the room.

Akira ignored it as she worked on her homework.

A knock on the door made her pause.

“Come in,” she called.

Kai peeked in, dragging out his words. “Heeeyyy.”

“What?”

“What are you doing?”

“Homework.”

“Which subject?”

“English,” she gritted out.

“Okay, calm down.” He walked over, picking up the chocolate from the floor before flopping onto the edge of her bed.

“Where’d you get this?” he asked, examining it.

“Leo.”

“Oh.” A slow smile stretched across Kai’s face.

Akira frowned. “What?”

“Nothing.”

“Why are you smiling?”

He shrugged. “Maybe because Leo loves chocolates, and this one in particular? And he never shares.” He tossed the chocolate onto her desk. “I don’t think he’s ever given anyone one before.”

She blinked at him, expression unreadable. Then she turned back to her homework.

“Anyway,” Kai continued, stretching, “Mom said we have to go to Sebastian’s office.”

Akira glanced at him. “Why?”

“No idea.” He hopped off the bed and grinned. “Come on. I’ll help you with homework later if you want.”

Akira followed him out of the room, to her boss's office.

---

Kai knocked once before opening the door.

Sebastian sat in his usual spot, eyes on his phone. Across from him, Eiran and Diana occupied the chairs, while Leo leaned against the wall, scrolling through his own phone.

Kai immediately plopped onto the couch next to the standing Leo.

Akira hesitated.

Diana gestured to her. “Akira, why are you standing? You can sit.”

Akira stiffened. Sitting without being invited—in front of Sebastian—felt wrong. Disrespectful.

She remained where she was.

Sebastian’s eyes flicked up to her for the briefest second before returning to his phone.

Diana sighed but didn’t push. Instead, she looked to Eiran.

“The date of the ball has been decided,” he announced.

“When?” Kai asked, intrigued. Even Leo looked up from his phone.

“Next Sunday.”

Kai asks “The Japanese are invited?”

"Yeah" Diana answers, a smile creeping up on her face.

"Sweet" Kai smirks. Leo's lips curl up in an identical smirk as his eyes remain glued to his phone.

Diana turned to Akira. “And…” She glanced at Sebastian expectantly.

Sebastian finally looked up, his gaze meeting Akira’s.

His voice was as unreadable as ever. “I’ll formally announce you as my sister.”

The words hung in the air.

Akira’s breath caught, but no words came.

For a moment, she was frozen.

Her boss. Her brother.

Announce her.

To everyone.

The weight of it settled deep in her chest.

She forced herself to nod.

It was the only response she could manage.

Sebastian’s gaze lingered for a second longer before he looked away.

The conversation moved on.

But Akira barely heard any of it.

She was going to be a part of one of the biggest mafia family.

She was a Volkov now.

A.N -------

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