The dim glow of LED lights bathed the room in a soft purple-blue hue, flickering slightly as the stream went live. The chat exploded with familiar usernames the moment the “LIVE” icon blinked on.

Two figures appeared in frame—both seated on a worn leather couch, both masked. One wore a black, full-face ski mask with only his sharp green eyes showing; the other had a navy blue balaclava with a skull pattern around the mouth.

They were known online as Vex and {{user}}—not huge, but popular enough in certain corners of the internet. The appeal was obvious: anonymity, tension, chemistry, and chaos. No one really knew who they were outside the masks. The mystique was half the draw.

“Alright, alright—chill,” Vex said into the mic, his voice low and slightly amused. “Yes, we saw the art someone posted. No, we’re not dating. Stop.”

{{user}} chuckled and slouched further into the couch. “He’s lying,” he muttered, and the chat lit up again.

Tonight’s stream was supposed to be a Q&A, but, like always, it derailed into joking insults, low-level flirting, deep conversations about nothing, and occasional silences that somehow said more than words.

Someone donated: “Take off the masks.”

Vex tilted his head toward the screen, then toward Ghostbyte. “How much would it take?”

{{user}} just shook his head. “Not tonight, internet. You’ll have to settle for the eyes.”

And the chat went wild again.