Kai sat in his Corvette C5, gripping the wheel as the low, rumbling idle of his V8 vibrated through his fingers. The industrial district was alive with energy, the air thick with the scent of burnt rubber and gasoline.
The lights of the abandoned warehouses flickered overhead, casting long shadows across the cracked pavement. The road ahead was barely illuminated by a few distant streetlights, the rest swallowed by the dark.
To his left, Leo Vasquez's deep blue WRX STI sat revving, the turbocharged boxer engine hissing with each throttle blip. The AWD system meant Leo would launch off the line like a bullet.
To his right, Ghost's silver Nissan 350Z sat perfectly still, engine humming like a beast ready to pounce. No wasted movement, no last-minute revs—just pure focus.
Further down, Dominic Krause's red AMG C63 growled, a deep, guttural tone that rumbled through the air. The torque-heavy brute was a missile on the straights, but its heavy frame would be a problem in the tight corners.
The crowd fell silent.
The announcer stepped forward. "Four racers. Two advance."
A metallic clink echoed as he pulled the safety pin on the flare.
Engines snarled.
Kai's breath slowed.
The flare dropped.
---
The Launch – Sprint to the First Corner
The moment the flare hit the ground, Leo's WRX catapulted forward, its AWD system gripping instantly. The turbo hissed violently, dumping pressure between shifts as the blue Subaru gained a full car length.
Ghost wasn't far behind. His 350Z hooked up smoothly, V6 screaming to redline, staying tight to Leo's rear bumper.
Kai's rear tires spun for half a second, his C5 fishtailing slightly before finding traction. He slammed the gear into second, the deep roar of the V8 tearing through the night.
Dominic's AMG was right there, its supercharged V8 bellowing like a thunderclap, keeping perfect pace with Kai as they fought for space.
The first turn was a 90-degree left.
Leo stayed tight to the inside, cutting the shortest path. Ghost followed his line, keeping pressure on his rear bumper.
Kai and Dominic drag-raced toward the braking zone, side by side.
Kai's foot hovered over the brake. He had to make a call.
Dominic was taking the wider entry, relying on his superior grip.
Kai had only one option left.
He dove for the inside.
---
The First Corner – Late Braking War
The brake lights of all four cars lit up simultaneously.
Leo's Subaru skidded slightly, the AWD fighting to hold traction as he cut the apex perfectly. Ghost followed flawlessly, his 350Z rotating smoothly, exiting just inches behind Leo's bumper.
Kai braked even later than Ghost, his front tires nearly locking up as he turned sharply left.
Dominic, on the outside, tried to carry more speed into the turn, but the weight of the AMG made it struggle.
Kai's Corvette slid through, his back tires chirping as he powered out, passing Dominic in the process.
He was now third.
The next section was a long right-hand sweeper, feeding into a tight left hairpin.
Leo and Ghost were already at full throttle.
Kai slammed third gear, feeling the rear end squat down as the power planted.
Dominic's AMG was still lurking on his outside, trying to fight back with raw horsepower.
Kai braced himself.
The next turn was coming fast.
---
Sector 2 – The Hairpin Battle
Leo took the shortest route, braking hard, his Subaru's rear end kicking slightly sideways as the AWD pulled him through.
Ghost took the exact same line, keeping the gap razor-thin between them.
Kai had to make a move.
Dominic's AMG was already surging up his right side, trying to pass before the braking zone.
Kai knew what was coming.
Dominic was going to out-brake him and muscle him wide.
Kai had two choices.
Brake late and try to out-turn Dominic, risking a slide.
Take a wider line and use a better exit to fight back.
He gambled on the second option.
Dominic braked deep, the AMG's massive front tires biting into the asphalt.
Kai took a wider approach, rolling into the brakes smoothly, keeping the weight balanced perfectly.
As Dominic powered out of the turn, his rear tires slipped for half a second.
Kai punched the gas.
The C5's V8 roared, the rear tires hooking up instantly.
He slingshot past Dominic on the exit, stealing back third place.
But now, Ghost was attacking Leo.
---
Sector 3 – The Lead Battle
The straight was short. The next turn was a deadly chicane, a fast left-right section that required absolute precision.
Ghost was tired of waiting.
He faked a move outside, making Leo shift his defensive position—then cut inside at the last second.
Leo realized it too late.
Ghost's 350Z slipped past, sliding into first.
Leo wasn't giving up. He tried to counter on the inside of the next turn, but Ghost blocked aggressively, slamming the door shut.
Kai closed the distance.
Now, all three of them were bumper to bumper, roaring toward the final sector.
Dominic was still behind but had one last chance on the final straight.
The last corner was approaching. A sweeping right-hand turn that led into a full-throttle sprint to the finish.
Ghost had the lead, but Leo was right there, waiting for a mistake.
Kai knew he couldn't just wait.
He had to take a risk.
Leo was hugging the inside, forcing Ghost into a slightly wider entry.
Kai saw it.
The only space left was the outermost line.
If he could carry more speed through the exit, he might be able to pass them both before the finish line.
He braked softer than them, rolling the car into the turn.
Ghost and Leo were focused on fighting each other.
Kai floored it early.
His rear tires struggled for grip, but the momentum was there.
Ghost got slightly checked up by Leo's block attempt.
Kai's Corvette was screaming through the outside line.
The air pulsed with the sound of engines screaming at redline, tires screeching across cracked pavement. The final stretch was in sight, three cars locked in a dead sprint, the finish line barely a few hundred meters away. Kai's Corvette C5 roared, its V8 snarling as it clawed for every ounce of speed. Ghost's 350Z held the inside, Leo's WRX pushing hard to reclaim the lead, all of them fighting for the last few meters of track.
Then—
A sudden flash of blue and red cut through the night.
Wailing sirens ripped through the industrial district, drowning out the roar of engines.
Kai's blood ran cold.
The police.