Traces of the Vanished

Noah stood there, staring at Elias.

"He collects them."

The words replayed in his head like a broken record.

"What the hell does that mean?" Noah asked, his voice steady, but something cold coiled in his gut.

Elias exhaled sharply and looked around. Even though they were in a quiet alley, he was acting like someone was listening. He leaned in slightly.

"You think this Tournament is just about fights? About money?" he muttered. "It's bigger than that. Way bigger."

Noah's jaw tightened. He had suspected for a while now that there was something more beneath the surface. The way Adrian Black talked. The way Marcus had warned him.

And now this.

He took a slow breath. "Tell me about The Reaper."

Elias gave a dry chuckle. "Tch. You don't find him. He finds you."

"That's not an answer."

"That's because you don't want the real one."

Noah stepped closer, his presence pressing. "Try me."

Elias studied him for a long moment, then sighed. He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper.

"This is the last thing I found about Daniel Ross," he said, handing it over. "You're not gonna like it."

Noah took it, unfolding the paper.

It was an old flyer—an announcement for a fight.

Warehouse 12.

Daniel Ross vs. The Reaper.

The date was six months ago.

Nothing strange about that.

But something was written on the back in hurried, uneven handwriting.

"If something happens to me, it's not an accident. The fights aren't what they seem. There's something underneath. If you're reading this… run." – Daniel Ross"

Noah's blood ran cold.

He read the words again.

Then again.

Daniel knew.

Before his fight, he knew something was wrong.

And yet, he still walked into that ring.

Noah clenched his jaw. "Where did you get this?"

Elias hesitated. "His old locker. Someone cleaned it out, but they didn't check the back of the flyer. Lucky me."

Noah didn't believe in luck.

This was intentional.

Someone wanted this to be found.

Noah folded the paper and shoved it into his pocket. "Who runs Warehouse 12?"

Elias tensed.

"That's a dangerous question."

"Then give me a dangerous answer."

Elias hesitated, then finally muttered, "Dante Rivera."

Noah frowned. He had heard that name before. Dante Rivera was one of the organizers of the Underground Tournament. He wasn't the top dog, but he was close.

"You think he had something to do with Daniel's disappearance?"

Elias shrugged. "I think people disappear when they cross him. And your boy Daniel? Looks like he figured something out he wasn't supposed to."

Noah's fingers curled into fists.

He had a name. A lead.

And he wasn't about to let it slip through his fingers.

---

A Second Opinion

Noah didn't go home after meeting Elias.

He went straight to the one person who might know more.

Xander.

The rooftop was empty when Noah arrived, but he knew better than to think Xander wasn't aware of him.

Sure enough, after a few seconds—

"You look like hell."

Noah turned. Xander leaned against the railing, arms crossed, eyes sharp.

"You need to tell me everything you know about The Reaper," Noah said.

Xander raised an eyebrow. "That's not a name you should be throwing around."

"Yeah, I got that part already." Noah pulled the folded flyer from his pocket and tossed it onto the table between them. "Read the back."

Xander's eyes flickered as he picked up the paper. He was silent for a long moment as he read.

Then—

A muscle in his jaw tightened.

Xander exhaled sharply, setting the paper down. "Damn it."

Noah narrowed his eyes. "You knew."

"I knew rumors." Xander's voice was clipped. "But this? This confirms it."

"Confirms what?"

Xander looked at him. "That fighters aren't just losing matches. Some of them are disappearing entirely."

Noah's stomach twisted. "Why?"

Xander's expression darkened. "That's the question, isn't it?"

Silence stretched between them.

Finally, Noah spoke. "Dante Rivera runs Warehouse 12. I'm going to talk to him."

Xander let out a sharp laugh. "Yeah? And you think he's just gonna sit down for a friendly chat?"

Noah didn't smile. "I don't care."

Xander sighed, rubbing his temple. "You're an idiot."

"Maybe." Noah met his gaze. "But I need to know what happened to Daniel Ross."

Xander studied him.

Then, reluctantly, he said—

"If you're going after Dante, you're gonna need backup."

Noah smirked. "So you're in?"

Xander rolled his eyes. "Tch. I'm not letting you get yourself killed yet."

Noah exhaled.

One step closer.

Now, it was time to go knocking on the devil's door.

---