MIRROR CAGE – CHAPTER 9: BLOOD IN THE WATER
"A lion doesn't ask for respect. He takes it."
[Morning – Kingsvale Institute, Combat Arena]
The dome-shaped arena pulsed with tension. Students filled the stands, the elite and the outcasts alike, buzzing with anticipation. Screens projected fight records, stats, and bets. It wasn't just a tournament. It was entertainment—and a reminder.
Elijah stood at the edge of the combat floor, heart thudding beneath his sculpted chest. In the new body, he looked invincible, even to himself. But the pressure gnawed at him from within.
From the stands, Juno leaned forward, jaw clenched. Beside him, Leah chewed her nail, her brows furrowed.
"He's not nervous," Juno muttered.
"He looks numb," Leah said. "That's worse."
Tariq, ever the cynic, shook his head. "Kid's walking into a death match. Against Rico? Might as well dig his grave now."
[Announcer's Booth – The Broadcast Begins]
"Welcome, Kingsvale!" a synthetic voice blared from the speakers. "Today, a rising star faces a proven killer. Elijah Cole, the newcomer with a perfect record… against Rico Mendez, Kingsvale's reigning underground champion!"
The crowd roared.
[Pre-Fight – Locker Room Shadows]
Elijah sat alone, wrapping his fists in silence. His real body—the broken, unnoticed version—sat safely in his hidden apartment, unacknowledged by the world. He had switched this morning. No one batted an eye. No one ever remembered the other him.
He looked into the wall mirror. Behind him, a ghost.
"Don't die," he whispered—to himself, to both selves.
Coach Lin entered. No words. Just a nod. That was enough.
[Combat Floor – The Bell Rings]
Rico stepped into the arena. A mass of muscle, scars, and dead eyes. A tattoo of a serpent coiled around his neck. He grinned with shark teeth.
Elijah stepped into the center, calm on the surface.
"Ready to bleed, Barbie doll?" Rico spat.
Elijah's eyes were cold. "Your lines need work."
The bell rang.
Rico exploded forward.
[POV SHIFT – Juno, In the Stands]
"He's fast…" Juno whispered, eyes locked on the floor.
Leah leaned forward. "No. Rico's faster. Elijah's calculating."
Tariq scoffed. "Calculating doesn't stop a boot to the head."
[Fight – Brutality Unfolds]
Rico's punches were bombs. Elijah dodged—barely. A right hook grazed his cheek. Blood. First hit.
But Elijah didn't flinch. He used the momentum, pivoted, then drove his elbow into Rico's ribs. A satisfying crack.
Rico snarled and charged again, this time landing a brutal knee into Elijah's gut.
Elijah dropped to one knee. The crowd gasped.
His eyes, however, never lost focus.
He swept Rico's leg. The champion stumbled. Elijah surged up, delivering a precise three-hit combo to Rico's temple, chin, and throat.
Thud.
Rico fell. Sprawled.
The silence was deafening.
Then: chaos.
[System Interface – Hidden From the World]
Opponent Status: Unconscious
Audience Reputation: +120
Fear Factor: +14
New Trait Earned: "Phantom Strike" – brief adrenaline spike post-dodge.
Elijah stood tall, breathing heavy but steady.
The announcer's voice cracked. "Winner: Elijah Cole!"
[POV SHIFT – Naomi, In the Shadows]
Behind tinted glass, Naomi watched the fight, arms crossed.
"He's adapting faster than expected," she said into her comm.
On the other end, a muffled voice replied, "But how? No one improves like that without history."
She narrowed her eyes. "Unless he's not who we think he is."
[Aftermath – The Locker Room]
Elijah leaned against the locker, sweat running down his back.
The door creaked. Juno walked in.
"That wasn't luck, was it?"
Elijah looked at him. "No."
Leah entered next. "That knee should've knocked you out."
"I've taken worse," Elijah muttered.
Tariq came last, arms folded. "You're hiding something."
Elijah's gaze hardened. "Everyone here is."
[Secret Scene – Duality]
That night, Elijah switched bodies.
His real self stood alone in the darkness, staring out the cracked window. No cheers. No crowd.
Only the mirror.
The ugly truth staring back.
He whispered, "They love a mask. But never the face behind it."
The system interface glitched momentarily.
Social Value: Undefined
Visibility: Null
Recognition: 0%
He turned away. Tomorrow, they'd only remember the other him.
The cage had grown bigger.
But so had the stakes.