𝕯𝖚𝖕𝖑𝖎𝖈𝖎𝖙𝖞

004

"Wake up, you idiot! We have class today!" Dan's voice boomed through the stairs as he stomped around the house, banging on doors and jumping up and down in an effort to wake his twin.

From upstairs, Scarlet groaned loudly, burying her face deeper into the pillow. "Five more minutes, Dan," she mumbled, her voice muffled and groggy.

Dan rolled his eyes, smirking. "Five more minutes, my ass! You said that half an hour ago!" He banged on her door again for emphasis. "If you don't get up, I'm gonna come in there and drag you out of bed myself."

Scarlet let out a frustrated sigh, throwing the blanket off and sitting up. "Alright, alright, I'm up!" She shouted back, her tone irritable. "But if you wake me up like that again, I swear I'll make you regret it."

Dan laughed as he headed down the hall. "Big talk coming from someone who sleeps like the dead. Come on, we've got a reputation to uphold, remember?"

Scarlet grinned, shaking off her sleepiness as she stood up. "Yeah, yeah. I'll be ready in five. But next time, you're the one who's getting the wake-up call from hell."

Dan popped his head back into her room, grinning. "You? Wake me up? Please, you couldn't wake me with a marching band."

Scarlet threw a pillow at him, which he easily dodged. "Keep talking, smartass. We'll see who's laughing when I blast death metal in your room at 5 AM."

"Sure, sure," Dan said with a mock salute. "But seriously, if you're not downstairs in ten minutes, I'm eating all the breakfast."

Scarlet rolled her eyes as she grabbed her clothes. "You wouldn't dare. I'll be down in five, and if you even think about touching my food, you'll be the one dealing with hell."

Dan chuckled as he started down the stairs. "Alright, alright, just hurry up. And don't forget we've got that group project today. Professor's already on our case."

Scarlet groaned as she brushed her teeth. "Ugh, don't remind me. I swear, if he gives us another lecture on deadlines, I might just skip class altogether."

"You say that every time," Dan called back, already pouring cereal into a bowl. "And every time, you show up anyway. Just admit it—you love school."

Scarlet came downstairs, still pulling on her jacket. "I love it about as much as I love waking up early. Which is not at all, in case you were wondering."

Dan smirked as he handed her a cup of coffee. "Well, at least you've got this to look forward to."

She took the coffee gratefully, inhaling the rich aroma. "Okay, you're forgiven. For now."

They sat down to eat, the usual sibling banter filling the kitchen as they prepared to face another day. These morning routines almost made them feel like any other pair of twins—just trying to get through the day without killing each other... in more ways than one.

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College life for Scarlet and Dan went as smoothly as it could, given their unusual extracurricular activities. In the daylight hours, they were just like any other students—attending lectures, handing in assignments, and navigating the chaotic world of college. But even in this relatively normal environment, their true nature was never far beneath the surface.

Scarlet, with her sharp wit and striking looks, drew attention wherever she went. The boys couldn't help but hoot and holler as she passed by, their immature attempts at flirting met with her icy glares or sarcastic quips. She knew how to handle herself, but sometimes, the attention was just too much.

That's where Dan came in.

Whenever some idiot took things too far, thinking they could impress Scarlet by being overly aggressive or crude, Dan was there to remind them who they were dealing with. He had a reputation around campus—not just as Scarlet's twin, but as the guy you didn't want to mess with.

One particularly rowdy afternoon, as the twins were walking across the quad, a group of frat boys decided to catcall Scarlet, shouting lewd comments that quickly turned crude.

Scarlet rolled her eyes, about to give them a piece of her mind, but Dan beat her to it. With a cold, calculated expression, he approached the loudest of the group. "Say that again," Dan growled, his voice low and dangerous.

The frat boy, not realizing the mistake he was making, smirked and opened his mouth to repeat the insult. Before he could finish, Dan's fist connected with his jaw, sending him sprawling onto the grass. The other boys tried to jump in, but Dan was a blur of fists and elbows, taking them down one by one. He didn't stop until they were all groaning on the ground, half-conscious and thoroughly humiliated.

Scarlet watched with an amused smirk, leaning against a nearby tree. "You know, you could just let me handle these idiots. It's almost too easy."

Dan shrugged, wiping blood from his knuckles with a casual air. "What can I say? I like to keep things interesting. Plus, they needed to learn some respect."

One of the boys on the ground groaned, trying to sit up, but Dan gave him a sharp kick to the ribs, making him collapse back down. "Stay down if you know what's good for you."

Scarlet pushed off from the tree and walked over to Dan, playfully patting his back. "Nice work. I'd give it a solid eight out of ten. You didn't even break a sweat."

Dan chuckled. "What can I say? They weren't much of a challenge."

As they walked away from the scene, leaving the frat boys groaning on the ground, they couldn't help but share a knowing smile.

For the twins, this was normal. This was life. And they wouldn't have it any other way.