VENDDETTA CIRCUIT – CHAPTER 7: "THE GHOST IN THE CAGE"Word count: ~1000 | Genre: Action, Drama, Revenge
The city had changed. Or maybe he had.
Mark stepped off the bullet tram into Neo-Lux District, where skyscrapers blinked like tombstones under the rain. His coat was heavier now, black leather weighed with more than armor—regret, loss, purpose. It had been three months since he vanished after the carnage of the last circuit match. People said he died. Some said he ran.
But Mark wasn't the type to run. Not anymore.
A new scar slashed across his cheek. A symbol inked on his neck. But what haunted him most was the name he'd buried deep — Rika.
She was gone.
The vendetta wasn't over. It had only evolved.
Inside the UnderGrid – 9:00 PM
The Underground Arena, once ruled by roars and broken bones, now had a new king.
"Ladies and gentlemen… bow to your champion… THE GHOST!"
The crowd erupted as the lights dimmed. A hooded fighter stepped into the center of the cage, arms folded. No cheers. No taunts. Just silence. His mask reflected nothing.
And Mark, standing in the shadows near the cage's edge, stared.
He knew that walk. That energy. That was Caden Vale, once his teammate. Once his best friend. Now... something else.
Flashback – 3 Years Ago
"We take the win, we split the prize, and we get Rika out of the system forever," Caden said, gripping Mark's shoulder. "No more circuits. No more blood."
But the system didn't allow exits.
The fight went wrong. Rika got caught. And when the blame fell, Caden disappeared.
Mark had hunted shadows ever since.
Back in the Present
Mark moved through the crowd. Eyes followed. Phones buzzed.
"Is that—?""No way—Mark's DEAD.""He's back… Oh damn, he's BACK!"
The noise died when Mark stepped inside the arena.
No challenge was spoken. No words needed.
The Ghost turned, mask tilting. His fists clenched. The arena gates locked.
Two former brothers. Now enemies born of silence.
Round One – Rage Unleashed
Mark rushed first, fists like hammers. He went low—sweeping for the Ghost's leg.
But the Ghost flipped over him, twisting in air like a phantom. A knee collided with Mark's jaw mid-spin.
Blood.
Mark staggered but didn't fall. He grinned.
"Still fast. But I'm not the same guy you left behind."
Ghost struck again — a straight punch aimed at the throat. Mark ducked, grabbed his arm, and flipped him across the cage.
CRASH.
The Ghost hit the ground but landed like mist, already on his feet.
No cheers. Only silence.
This was personal.
Outside the Cage – Behind the Curtain
A woman watched through cracked monitors. Dressed in red velvet, eyes like glass.
Doctor Nyra Vale.
Caden's older sister. The architect of the new Circuit. The one who made sure Mark would return to face her puppet.
"Phase One is successful," she whispered. "Phase Two begins with his pain."
Inside the Fight – Final Clash
Mark drove his knee into Caden's ribs. The Ghost grunted. The mask cracked slightly.
Mark grabbed it—ripped it off.
Caden's face was hollow. Paler. His eyes blank. Not the friend he remembered. Not fully human.
"You're not Caden," Mark whispered.
Caden blinked. For a flicker of a moment, emotion surged. Then—vanished.
"You left her," Mark said, fury rising. "You let her die!"
Suddenly, Caden's arms went stiff. His eyes rolled back.
Electricity crackled through the cage floor.
He convulsed.
Nyra's voice boomed over the loudspeakers:"Welcome back, Mark. You made it to my endgame. You wanted revenge… but now, you fight for survival."
The lights went out.
To Be Continued…