The engines roared against the morning air, two streaks of metal cutting through the winding forest road. Toji's Ducati howled like a beast unchained, the red blur slicing through mist and shadow. Beside him, Tyler clung to the Ninja 300, his hands tight on the grips, trying to match Toji's effortless control.
The wind tore at their jackets. Trees became streaks. The world around them dissolved into motion.
Toji didn't look back often, but when he did, he caught the flash of Tyler's determined face — part fear, part thrill. He smirked under his helmet and leaned harder into the next turn, his knee brushing asphalt as sparks flew.
Tyler shouted something, lost to the roar. Toji only laughed, the sound swallowed by the storm of speed.
They broke free of the forest line and hit the open road — a silver river under sunlight. For a moment, both bikes ran side by side, engines growling in perfect rhythm.
Then Toji tilted his head slightly toward Tyler and raised two fingers — a signal. Tyler nodded, understanding the challenge.
The race began.
Dust rose. Birds scattered. The sound of their engines became one long scream across the valley.
It wasn't just a ride. It was freedom clawing its way through everything that tried to cage it.
Half a hour later
They were already miles out of Jericho, the town shrinking behind them like a fading memory. The road stretched open — smooth, wide, and quiet — framed by tall pines and rolling mist. Toji rode as if born for it, every lean, every throttle shift flowing like instinct. His Ducati glided through the turns with predatory grace, its hum low and steady, a heartbeat of pure control.
Tyler followed, still learning, still holding his breath each time Toji tilted so far it looked like gravity itself bent to him. The Ninja's engine whined harder, but Toji's movements were effortless — not showing off, just existing in his element.
The road curved, sunlight spilling through the branches in sharp flashes. Wind whipped at their jackets, snapping like flags. They passed the town sign that read Leaving Jericho – Drive Safe, and Toji only smiled at the irony.
Every motion was measured, precise, yet wild. He didn't look back once. He didn't need to. Tyler was behind him — close enough to follow, far enough not to interfere. Out here, it wasn't a chase. It was flight.
Then after a while Toji glanced through the mirror and couldn't help but notice how well Tyler was keeping up. For someone who had learned the basics barely few hours ago, his control was clean — no wobble, no hesitation. Each shift, each brake was smooth, like he'd been doing it longer than memory allowed.
Impressive, Toji thought. Most beginners fought the bike; Tyler flowed with it.
But then Toji caught something odd. The kid's eyes — even through the visor — glinted unnaturally under the sunlight. Wider. Wilder. For a moment, they reflected that sharp amber hue only one creature could carry.
A Hyde.
Toji's brow tightened. He realized Tyler probably didn't even know it was happening — a partial transformation, pure instinct, bleeding through the cracks of his control. His body responding to adrenaline before his mind could stop it.
The corner came fast, and Tyler leaned into it perfectly, the back tire holding like it was glued to the asphalt. Toji smirked — half impressed, half curious — and muttered under his breath, "So, the beast does have balance."
He twisted the throttle, the Ducati roaring forward, wind screaming past. If Tyler's instincts were waking, then today would be the perfect test to see what kind of monster Jericho had been hiding all along.
The road stretched out before them like a black ribbon cutting through the forest, wind clawing at their jackets as sunlight bled between the trees. Tyler rode just off Toji's side, their engines humming in perfect sync — two wolves running through steel and asphalt.
Toji glanced over, the corner of his mouth tugging up. "Didn't think you'd keep up, rookie."
Tyler laughed, eyes gleaming beneath his helmet. "Didn't think you'd underestimate me, old man."
Toji barked a short laugh, the sound lost in the roar of the bikes. "Old man? You're lucky I don't make you eat exhaust."
"Please," Tyler shot back, twisting the throttle a little harder, pulling ahead for a heartbeat before Toji caught up again. "You'd have to catch me first."
They raced like that for miles, the forest blurring around them — two friends who shouldn't have fit together, yet somehow did. Tyler's grin was wide, wild, alive in a way Toji hadn't seen before. His eyes flashed for a second, that unnatural gleam hinting at the Hyde within, but Toji didn't comment. He just smirked, thinking, if the monster can laugh, maybe he's not lost yet.
The air smelled like pine and gasoline, freedom and danger twined together. For once, neither of them were running from anything — they were just riding.
After a while:-
They rolled into a quiet gas station at the edge of the woods, the engines dying with a soft growl that faded into the hum of crickets and distant traffic. Toji swung his leg off the Ducati, the metal frame ticking as it cooled. Tyler parked beside him, the Ninja 300 gleaming under the sun, its paint kissed with dust but still holding that new shine.
Toji looked at him for a moment — the way he held his helmet under his arm, sweat dampening his hair, eyes bright with something between pride and disbelief. A grin tugged at Toji's lips as he clapped Tyler's shoulder. "You sure this was your first time on a bike?"
Tyler let out a breathless laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. "I've ridden a cycle before. You know — pedal power."
Toji chuckled, a low sound that came from deep in his chest. "Yeah, no. That doesn't count,boy." He shook his head, amused. "Still… you handled it better than most. Smooth on the throttle, didn't panic on the corners. Not bad for a beginner."
Tyler shrugged, trying not to look too proud, but the smirk on his face betrayed him. "Guess I'm just a fast learner. Or maybe I had a decent teacher."
Toji snorted. "Decent? You mean flawless."
They both laughed, the sound easy and unguarded — two strangers who somehow felt like they'd known each other for years. Tyler walked toward the vending machines, grabbing a couple of cold bottles of water while Toji stretched his shoulders and looked around the empty lot. The place was nothing special — a cracked concrete floor, a flickering neon sign, the faint scent of gasoline and pine — yet somehow it felt peaceful.
When Tyler handed him a bottle, Toji took it with a nod. "Thanks."
"No problem," Tyler said, taking a long drink himself. "Crazy thing, right? Two days ago, I wouldn't have guessed I'd be out here, riding with you of all people."
Toji raised an eyebrow. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Tyler grinned, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "Just saying. You're not exactly the 'buddy ride out of town and chill' type. You've got this… quiet storm thing going on."
Toji smirked. "You think too much."
"Maybe. But you're not as cold as you act."
For a moment, Toji didn't answer. He just took another sip of water, eyes fixed on the horizon — where the trees swayed and the world felt strangely calm. Tyler glanced at him, thinking how odd it was that someone like Toji — who carried so much weight behind his eyes — had decided to let him in.
Inside, Tyler's thoughts wandered. Maybe this is what it feels like to have someone see you — not the Hyde, not the freak — just you.
Toji, meanwhile, thought something similar. Kid's got something in him. Maybe not all monsters are born. Some just need a road and a little noise to find their rhythm.
They stood there for a while, two bottles half-empty, the wind brushing past, both pretending they didn't need this quiet — though they both did.
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This probably will be there last chapter where they are chill as the main villan is going to be introduced soon enough.