The underground arena, once roaring with excitement, now simmered with murmurs as the final battle concluded. Blood stained the floor, and the air was thick with sweat, adrenaline, and the scent of desperation. Gamblers collected their winnings, fighters nursed their wounds, and the once-hostile energy began to dissipate.
Amidst the dispersing crowd, Aryan—still masked as Spade—felt an uneasy sensation prickling at the back of his neck. A feeling he couldn’t shake off. Someone was watching him.
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His eyes scanned the dimly lit arena, searching beyond the flickering lights. In the farthest corner, standing motionless, was a shadowed figure. Aryan’s heart pounded as he observed the individual—cloaked in darkness, their face obscured, but their posture unnervingly composed. It wasn’t just the stare that unsettled Aryan, but something else—something familiar.
His gaze shifted momentarily to Reaper X, who was wrapping his bloodied hands with gauze. As Reaper X adjusted his sleeve, Aryan caught sight of a faint burn mark on his wrist. His stomach churned. The shape—partially hidden—looked eerily familiar. He had seen something like that before, but he couldn''t place where.
Before he could dwell further, a firm hand gripped his shoulder.
“Spade, let’s go.” Rohan—Ghost—spoke in a hushed tone. “The tournament’s over. We better leave before the cops raid this place.”
Aryan hesitated for a second, his mind still tangled with questions. But he knew Rohan was right. The underground matches were highly illegal, and police busts weren’t uncommon. Staying any longer would be reckless.
He gave one last glance toward the distant figure, but by the time he looked back—whoever it was, they had vanished.
“…Yeah. Let’s go.”
As they exited through the narrow corridors, blending into the sea of departing fighters and spectators, Aryan couldn’t shake the feeling that this wasn’t over. Someone had been watching him. And that burn mark—was it truly just a coincidence?
Something told him that this was only the beginning of something far more dangerous.
— Chapter End.