Chapter 13 – The Invitation

Chapter 13 – The Invitation

Ethan stepped out of The Cage, the damp underground air clinging to his skin. His muscles ached, his body pulsed with the aftereffects of battle, but his mind was sharper than ever. The fight with Bishop had pushed him further than any other, and the System had rewarded him.

He was evolving.

But something else had happened tonight.

Someone had been watching him.

As he walked down the dimly lit alley behind The Cage, he felt it again—that prickling sensation of being followed. Not paranoia. A presence.

He kept his pace steady, listening for footsteps behind him. There.

Soft, deliberate. Someone moving with precision.

Ethan took a deep breath, then turned a corner into a narrow street lined with abandoned warehouses. The perfect place for an ambush.

And he was done running.

He stopped walking, shoving his hands into his hoodie pockets like he didn't have a care in the world.

"Alright," he said, his voice calm. "You've been watching me long enough. Why don't you come out?"

Silence.

Then—

A figure stepped forward from the shadows.

Ethan's eyes narrowed as he took in the man before him.

Tall. Broad-shouldered. Impeccably dressed in a dark suit that looked out of place in this grimy part of town. Not a street thug. Not a fighter. Someone from a different world entirely.

The man's face was calm, unreadable, but his eyes—cold and calculating. The kind of gaze that belonged to someone who had seen death up close and didn't flinch.

"Impressive," the man said, his voice smooth, controlled. "Most people don't notice when I follow them."

Ethan tilted his head slightly. "I'm not most people."

The man smiled. "No. You're not."

The way he said it sent a chill down Ethan's spine. He knew.

Ethan tensed. His instincts screamed danger, but he forced himself to stay still.

"Who are you?" he asked.

The man reached into his coat pocket—slowly, deliberately. Not a weapon. A card.

He held it out. "Call me Victor."

Ethan glanced at the card but didn't take it. A single black symbol was printed in the center—a triangle with a vertical line cutting through it. No name. No contact number.

Just a symbol.

Ethan's fingers twitched. "What do you want?"

Victor's smile didn't waver. "To talk. Somewhere more… private."

Ethan let out a short laugh. "Yeah? And what if I say no?"

Victor took a step closer, lowering his voice. "Then you leave here with more questions than answers."

Ethan clenched his jaw. He hated it. Hated being led. Hated being toyed with.

But he needed answers.

"Fine," he said. "Lead the way."

They walked in silence for ten minutes before Victor stopped in front of a sleek black car parked near the edge of the district. The doors unlocked with a soft click.

Ethan hesitated. This had trap written all over it.

Victor noticed. "If I wanted to harm you, Ethan, I would've done it already."

Ethan didn't like that. Didn't like that Victor was right.

Still, he had fought monsters in The Cage. If things went sideways, he'd make sure Victor regretted it.

He got in.

The car's interior was like something out of a spy movie—smooth leather, dim blue lighting, a faint scent of something expensive.

Victor slid into the driver's seat and started the car. "Tell me, Ethan—do you believe in fate?"

Ethan snorted. "Sounds like something rich guys say before they screw people over."

Victor chuckled. "Perhaps."

The car pulled out onto the road, gliding smoothly through the city.

"Let's not waste time," Victor continued. "You've changed recently, haven't you? Grown stronger at a rate that shouldn't be possible."

Ethan's fingers curled. "What's your point?"

Victor's expression remained unreadable. "My point is… I know how you're doing it."

The air in the car suddenly felt too tight.

Ethan forced himself to stay calm. "Oh yeah? Then why don't you enlighten me?"

Victor turned onto a quiet street and parked in front of an upscale building. "Come inside. And I will."

Ethan hesitated.

Victor stepped out of the car. "If you're truly ready for the truth, follow me."

Ethan stared at the man's back as he walked toward the entrance.

Every instinct screamed at him to leave.

But he was tired of not knowing.

With a deep breath, he got out of the car and followed Victor inside.

The apartment was too perfect.

Minimalist furniture. Dark walls. A fireplace that flickered without producing heat. This wasn't a home.

It was a meeting place.

Victor motioned for Ethan to sit. He didn't.

"Start talking," Ethan said.

Victor smiled slightly, then walked to a sleek black cabinet and pulled out a folder. He tossed it onto the table between them.

Ethan's stomach tightened as he opened it.

Inside were photos of him.

Him at the diner. Him entering The Cage. Him in the hospital.

Ethan's blood turned ice-cold. "What the hell is this?"

Victor folded his hands. "Proof that I've been watching you for a while."

Ethan's body coiled like a spring. "Why?"

Victor leaned forward, his eyes sharp. "Because you're not the first."

Silence.

Ethan's heartbeat pounded in his ears.

"What?"

Victor's expression darkened. "You think your System is unique? That you're the only one who's ever had it?"

Ethan's breath caught.

Victor's next words shattered everything.

"There have been others before you, Ethan. And every single one of them… is either dead or missing."

A chill ran down Ethan's spine.

He had known there was something off about his power.

But this—

This was bigger than he had ever imagined.

Victor stood, straightening his jacket. "You have two options."

Ethan's hands curled into fists. "Let me guess—join you, or die?"

Victor chuckled. "Nothing so crude. I'm offering you something better. Protection. Knowledge. Power."

Ethan's jaw tightened. "And the catch?"

Victor's smile widened.

"You work for us."

Silence stretched between them.

Ethan had fought killers, learned skills beyond his wildest imagination, and adapted faster than anyone should.

But this—

This was a different kind of fight.

And he had just stepped into a much bigger game.

End of Chapter 13