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  Late into the night, the house was ed in a quiet that felt almost sacred, broken only by the soft rustling of pages. Nero sat fortably on the deep brown sofa, his frame rexed beh Maria’s lithe form. She erched sideways on his p, her head led against his shoulder, and her dark hair spilled over his neck like a silken curtain, tig his neck. The warmth of her body against his added to the peace of the moment, making the mess of dots he was skimming through feel less overwhelming, more distant.

  Maria’s book y open, but her eyes weren’t focused on the words. She hadn’t turned a page in a while, lost in thought. Her mind, as always, was busy with musings that eventually demao be shared. Finally, with a soft sigh, she closed the book a rest gently against his chest. She didn’t move from her spot but tilted her head slightly, her lips close to his ear as she spoke.

  “The duo were iing, weren’t they?” Her voice was quiet, almost teasingly curious as she brought up L and Light, the two peculiar individuals they had retly summoned.

  Nero’s lips curved into a small, amused smile. He let out a soft hum of agreement, his attention still half on the papers in his hand. “Iing is definitely one way to put it.” His fingers tio leaf through the pages, though more zily now. “They’re a study in tradis—two sides of the same , always at odds with each other. It’s... almost poeti a way.”

  "They remind me of chess pieces," he tinued, his voice dropping to a murmur as if he was thinking aloud. "Both kings on opposite sides, pying a game where the rules ge every sed. But in the end, only one stand. That tension... It's pelling."

  She shifted slightly on his p, her skin brushing against his in a way that made him more aware of the intimacy of their position. Her silenced him to keep going, and he did, his thoughts flowing more freely now.

  “They’ve got the potential to be more than just adversaries,” Nero tinued, his tohoughtful. “Their rivalry could either destroy them both or push them to heights they never imagined. I haven’t decided yet which it’ll be.”

  He gnced down at her then, catg the glint of amusement in her eyes. This was how it always was between them—Maria would he versation in a certain dire, and Nero would follow, unraveling his thoughts until they ended up somewhere ued. It was a rhythm they had settled into long ago, and it made these te-night talks feel easy, almost iable.

  Maria chuckled softly, the sound vibrating against his chest. It was a gentle, familiar sound that always made him feel a little lighter, no matter what dark or heavy thoughts they were discussing.

  "I still ot believe Death Gods were real in their world, and people could be killed with just their names. Have you noticed how both L and Light didn’t give their real names when they ied with others? They’re still carrying the shadow of that fear. L, of course, used L, and Light took advantage of the Japanese at to actually give L’s real name. How petty." Maria's soft voice broke the quiet, her breath warm against Nero’s ear.

  Nero chuckled along with her, his hand absently brushing through Maria's dark hair. "They were both incredibly sharp, weren’t they? From the moment they arrived, it was like watg two hawks assessing the situation, searg for any weako exploit. L was subtle about it, more like a curious cat testing the waters. But Light... Light was different. The way he analyzed everything, you could almost see him trying to calcute every possible angle, every potential move. It wasn’t just curiosity—it was ambition."

  He paused, flipping through a few more dots, though his attention was clearly elsewhere. "Loyalty is something I usually don’t have to question with summons. They’re bound to me, to us. But with Light, I felt something different. He wasn’t just feeling out the boundaries; he robing for cracks, seeing if there was a way he could slip through them, twist them to his adva was almost impressive, really, in that twisted way of his."

  Maria smiled, her lips curving into a knowing grin. “Well, that should keep us on our toes.”

  Nero’s ugh was soft, almost a low rumble in his chest. “Sure it will. Even now, Light must be calling Ryuk to see if he get his Death Note back.”

  “You think he misses it?” she asked, tilting her head slightly, her dark hair brushing against his jawline again. It was a casual question, almost like she was asking about the weather, but there was a hint of genuine curiosity there.

  “Miss it? That’s putting it lightly. For someone like Light, power like that is addictive. Having that kind of trol, being able to py god… it’s not something you just let go of easily.” Nero’s fingers drummed zily on the armrest as he sidered it. “He’s probably scheming right now, trying to figure out how to recim that power. It’s in his nature.”

  Maria hummed in agreement, her eyes half-closed as she listened. “And L?”

  “L’s different,” Nero said, almost thoughtfully. “He doesn’t miss the power because he never had it in the same way Light did. For him, it was always about the game—the challenge. He’s less ied in trol and more in the puzzle itself. But make no mistake, he’s just as dangerous in his own way.”

  Maria chuckled softly, the sound more of a breath than a ugh. “I bet he’s already pieg together our little family dynamics, trying to figure out where the edges are.”

  “He probably is,” Nero agreed, a faint smile on his lips. “And you know, part of me respects that. He’s methodical, almost obsessively so. But he doesn’t have the arrogahat es with someone like Light. L knows his limitations. That makes him harder to predict.”

  Maria said with a smile, "Now I see why you gave them those powers."

  Nero’s grin widened, a flicker of satisfa in his eyes. He enjoyed how well Maria uood his thought process, how she could so effortlessly ect the dots that others might miss. "You always cat quick."

  He didn’t o eborate further, but the reasoning behind his choice was clear. For L, the greatest detective oh, invisibility wasn’t just a tool—it was aension of his very nature. L thrived in the shadows, where observation was key, and being unseen was as vital as air. It ower that matched his essence perfectly, allowing him to disappear from sight but remain ever-watchful, a ghost in the mae.

  Nero leaned back slightly, feeling the f warmth of Maria’s body against his. “L’s strength has always been in what he doesn’t show. That quiet intelligehat ability to see things others overlook... invisibility was a natural fit for him. It amplifies his greatest asset—his mind. He doesn’t o be seen to be in trol.”

  His fingers absently brushed through the ends of Maria’s hair as he spoke, "Light, though," he tinued, his voice taking on a more thoughtful edge, "he’s different. Light’s ambition burns—bright and ing. Pyrokinesis suits him because it embodies both his desire for power and the iable destru that es with it. He’s drawn to power like a moth to a fme, even knowing it could e him in the end."

  Maria’s smile deepened as she listeo Nero’s analysis, his words weaving images in her mind. The idea of L shrouded in invisibility, forever the unseen observer, and Light with fmes dang at his fiips—both were powerful, vivid cepts that sparked her creative energy.

  “This is so inspiring, I want to draw it,” she murmured, sliding off Nero’s p with an easy grace. Her excitement alpable, and Nero couldn’t help but chuckle softly as he watched her move toward the er of the room where her art supplies were stored.

  “Anthony thought so too,” Nero said, standing up aing the papers down on the coffee table. He stretched briefly before walking over to where Maria was setting up her vas. “He’s been writing poems all day. Something about Light’s fire reminded him of the fleeting nature of ambition or some poetisense like that.” He leaned in closer, ing his arms around her waist from behind aing his on her shoulder, watg as she prepared her materials.

  Maria let out a soft ugh as she arranged her brushes. “Of course he did. Anthony find poetry in just about anything.” She g Nero with a pyful smirk. “Maybe I should colborate with him—his words and my art. We could make something that captures the essence of L and Light.”

  Nero nodded slightly, his eyes following the graceful movements of her hands. “You two would make quite the team,” he said, his voice warm with affe. “But you don’t need his words to make your art speak. It already does.”

  She turned her head slightly to catch his gaze, her expression softening. “You always know what to say, don’t you?” She paused, then added, “It’s why I keep you around.”

  He grihe expression lighting up his face as he leaned in closer, his lips brushing against her ear. “Is that so? I thought it was because of my stunning good looks.”

  Maria ughed, shaking her head. “That’s just a bonus.” She dipped a brush into the dark, swirling colors on her palette, and then, with a focused expression, she began to sketch out the forms of L and Light on the vas.

  Nero watched in silence for a moment, mesmerized by the way the figures took shape under her hand. It was like watg magifold, the lines and colors ing together to capture the essence of the two enigmatidividuals they had summoned. L’s form was shadowed, almost ethereal, while Light burned bright, his presence almost overp the vas.

  “You’re capturing them perfectly,” Nero murmured, his voice barely above a whisper, not wanting to break her tration.

  Maria didn’t respond immediately, lost in her work, but a small smile tugged at her lips as she added the finishing touches to L’s ghostly silhouette. After a moment, she spoke, her voice thoughtful. “Do you ever wonder if we’re pying with fire, bringing people like them into our world?”

  Nero sidered the question, his arms still ed around her as he rested his head against hers. “All the time,” he admitted.

  This was something Nero sidered every day, more often than he'd care to admit. If things had gone acc to the inal pn, if the other Nero had taken trol, everything would be different. Prince had seen the darkest ers of existence, betrayed by those he trusted most, left with nothing but ashes where hope once burned. Someone like that, given a sed ce, would undoubtedly be more ruthless, more self-serving. He’d strive to carve out something for himself, sequences be damned. But Principe, he, wasn’t that person. He hadn’t died, hadn’t ehe same losses. His mi, fed in a different crucible, was... more plex.

  It was a miracle that someone like Prince could exist at all. Given a sed ce at life, with a system that could elevate him to godhood if he mao survive long enough, he had still chosen to walk away from it all. For him, this life didn’t belong to him. The friends, the girlfriend, the world Principe would have left behind—they were not his to cim. He couldn’t bring himself to take over a life that wasn’t his own, knowing that the love and loyalty he’d receive would ruly be directed at him. It would always be for Prihe man who should have tinued living. So Prince had decided it was better to die than to steal something so precious from the people who remained.

  Nero closed his eyes for a moment, letting that thought settle as Maria’s brush strokes filled the room with the soft sound of creation. The weight of that decision lingered in his mind, as it always did. He could have been that man—he could have chosen the selfish path, seized what wasn’t his, and tinued with this strange ence as if it was his own. But that wasn’t who he was. He khat no matter ower the system promised him, no matter what strength he could acquire, he would always be living someone else’s life.

  Maria’s quiet humming drew him back from his thoughts. She was pletely absorbed in her work now, her focus entirely on the vas in front of her. The lines of L and Light were ing together, each figure distinct yet ected in a way that only she could capture. There was something almost hypnotic about the way her hands moved, each stroke perfect, each color carefully chosen. Nero watched in silence, tent to let her creativity flow uninterrupted.

  As the duo were lost in their own world, Sofia quietly ehe room, her sharp eyes catg the intimate se. She leaned against the doorframe, her usual teasing grin spreading across her face. "Ahem, sorry for interrupting this private moment."

  Nero didn’t bother looking up from his spot behind Maria, his tone dripping with mock seriousness. “Oh no, you’ve caught us i. Whatever will we do now?”

  Maria rolled her eyes, though a smile pyed on her lips. "e on in, Sofia. Don’t be shy."

  Sofia strolled in, giving a mospe of the room, noting the papers strewn across the coffee table and Maria’s half-finished vas. “So this is what you two do when the rest of us are asleep? Brooding and painting masterpieces?”

  Nero finally gnced up at her, his expression light but with a familiar edge of sarcasm. “You know us too well. Brooding is my favorite nighttime hobby.”

  Sofia snorted, plopping herself onto the nearby armchair, legs draped casually over the side. "And here I thought it lotting world domination."

  Maria chuckled softly, dipping her brush bato the paint. "That’s for the ms. Evenings are for the arts."

  Nero gave an exaggerated nod. "Exactly. Strategy in the m, creativity at night. It’s all about bance."

  She feigned exaggerated surprise, "So when do you have sex?"

  Maria’s hand froze mid-stroke on the vas while Nero rolled his eyes. "As smooth as ever, Sofia," he remarked, dry amusement g his tone.

  "Well, someone's gotta ask the important questions," Sofia shot back with a smirk, leaning ba her chair with the same nont air that always made it difficult to tell whether she was being serious or just messing around. Her eyes sparkled with that familiar mischievous glint, daring ao call her out on it.

  Maria shook her head, a hint of a smile tugging at her lips despite the sudden shift in versation. "You know, Sof, some things are better left unasked."

  "Where’s the fun in that?" Sofia quipped, shrugging. She stretched her arms behind her head, clearly enjoying herself. “Besides, it’s not like I’m getting any juicy details out of you two. You’re like Fort Knox over here.”

  Nero chuckled softly, his head resting fortably on Maria’s shoulder as she resumed painting. "Some mysteries are worth keeping, don't you think?"

  Sofia tilted her head, sidering his words. "Yeah, yeah, keep your secrets. Just remember to keep things... banced." She gave him a wink, adding a pyful twist to the otherwise serious uone. "Doctors suggest three times a week."

  Maria turned her head with a sly smile, her brush pausing mid-stroke. "Three times a week, huh? So you’re already ahead of schedule for the month?"

  Sofia froze for a sed, her fident smirk faltering. She coughed awkwardly, trying tain her posure. "Walls are thin, huh?" Sofia rolled her eyes, her bravado returning quickly. "You should really i in earplugs, Nero. They work wonders."

  Nero chuckled softly, watg the pyful exge with mild amusement. "Or maybe you two could try keeping it down. You know, for the sake of the rest of us."

  Sofia stuck her to pyfully. "Enough about my private life."

  Maria didn’t miss a beat, fixing her with a deadpan look. "So you do know some things are private. That’s new."

  Sofia giggled. "Well, I am a hacker for a reason. Boundaries are a suggestion, not a rule."

  Nero let out a quiet ugh, his arms still loosely around her waist as he observed the banter. "Let’s keep those skills of yours focused on our enemies, Sof. I’d rather not wake up to find my emails mysteriously rearranged again."

  She feigned innoce, shrugging. "’t make any promises. Boredom be a powerful motivator." Then she added with a sigh, "Speaking of boredom, I am bored, as hell. Eain me."

  Nero made a zy shooiure with his hand. "Go away. You’ve got a poet boyfriend. Make him read you some of his test musings."

  Sofia groaned dramatically, her eyes rolling so hard it looked like they might get stuck. "Dude, I just said I’m bored. Why do you think that is?"

  Nero couldn’t help but chuckle, shaking his head. "Don’t say that to Anthony. It’d break his tender heart."

  "He’s tougher than you give him credit for," Sofia shot back, stretg her arms over her head. "No word pee that thick skin of his. Besides, he’s probably busy writing odes to trees or something equally riveting."

  Nero smirked, gng over at Maria’s vas, watg the final strikes of L and Light take shape. "You might want to keep that to yourself, Sof. One day, he might just decide to write an epic about your tragic ck of appreciation."

  Sofia grinned, crossing her legs on the armchair. "Tragic? Hardly. If anything, it’d be a edy. He’d probably turn it into a saga about my endless search for det eai."

  "The him write it," Nero quipped, leaning bad running his fihrough Maria’s hair absentmindedly. "Maybe it’ll keep you both busy."

  Sofia huffed, pretending to sulk as she slumped further into the chair. "You’re no fun tonight. I came here expeg some thrilling versation, and all I get is advice to go annoy my boyfriend."

  Maria smirked, her brush moving steadily across the vas. "That’s because you’re looking for thrills in the wrong pces, Sof. Art’s where the real excitement is."

  "Art, huh?" Sofia shot a skeptical g the half-finished painting. "Maybe if I could set it on fire or hack it to make it move. Now that would be thrilling."

  "Or you could just watch the process unfold," Nero suggested, his tone dry. "No hag required."

  Sofia sighed dramatically again, but this time there was a hint of a smile at the er of her lips. "Fine, fine. I’ll watch. But if I start sn, don’t bme me."

  Maria gave a teasing smile. "Don't fake sleep again just to make Anthony carry you to your bed."

  Sofia blushed gehis time, her usual bravado slipping for a moment. "Hey, that was said uhe fidentiality of sisterhood. You 't break it, Mar!"

  Nero smirked, enjoying the rare sight of Sofia caught off guard. "fidentiality? I didn’t realize you two had a code of silence for bedtime shenanigans."

  Sofia shot him a mock gre, trying to recover her posure. "It’s not like that! I was just... strategically serving my energy."

  Maria’s ugh was soft but full of knowing, her brush never pausing on the vas. "Sure, sure. And I bet Anthony’s totally unaware of your little strategy."

  Sofia’s expression faltered, a hint of doubt creeping in. "You think he knows?"

  Nered, his tone light but with a hint of amusement. "Knowing Anthony? He probably figured it out the first time you pulled that stunt. He’s just pying along."

  Maria chimed in, "He’s sweet like that. Letting you think you’ve got him ed around your finger when it’s actually the other way around."

  Sofia crossed her arms, sinking deeper into the chair as if trying to disappear. "You guys are the worst."

  Nero and Maria exged a knowing look, their smiles widening with a shared mischief that Sofia immediately reized—and dreaded.

  "How so?" Maria asked, her voice dripping with feigned innoce.

  Nero tinued seamlessly, his tog hers, "We love art."

  Sofia groaned, rolling her eyes as she slumped further into the armchair, already brag herself for what was i.

  "We love calm," Maria added with a smirk.

  Nero leaned forward slightly, his expression pyful. "And peace."

  Sofia threw her head ba mock despair. "Ugh, stop it! You two sound like those pretentious influencers who pretend to meditate but are secretly cheg their phones every five seds."

  "Mindfulness is key," Maria said, giving Nero a side gnce, barely holding back ughter.

  "To a fulfilling life," Nero added, nodding seriously as if imparting wisdom.

  Sofia held up her hands i. "Okay, okay! I give up. You win. You’ve successfully bored me to death with your zen routine."

  Nero chuckled, leaning back against the sofa. "That was the pn all along, Sof. We’ve been practig our synized annoyaeique just for you."

  "Months of training," Maria chimed in, her lips curving into a grin as she kept her focus on the vas.

  Sofia narrowed her eyes at the both of them, trying to keep a straight face but failing as a smile crept up. "You two are the worst tag team ever."

  Nero’s smirk widened. "That’s what makes us effective."

  Maria nodded in agreement, her brush still moving steadily across the vas. "You 't beat us when we’re in sync."

  Sofia shook her head, ughing softly. "I swear, if you two weren’t so good at keepiertained, I’d be outta here."

  "That’s why you keep ing back," eased, reag over to ruffle her hair.

  Sofia swatted his hand away, still grinning. "Yeah, yeah. Just don’t get too cocky, or I’ll hack your favorite pylist and repce it with elevator music."

  Maria gnced over at Sofia with mock horror. "You wouldn’t dare."

  Sofia’s grin widened, leaning ba her chair with a smug look. "Try me."

  Nero chuckled, shaking his head as he watched the two of them. "Alright, truce. We don’t want to risk losing our soundtrack. You win this round, Sof."

  Sofia gave a satisfied nod. "Damn right I do."

  --

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