THE HIDDEN RIVAL

OBSERVE

RIVAL’S POV :

The next morning slapped harder than a belt on wet skin.

The metal door creaked open like it was groaning in pain, and before I could ask what now, a thick boot kicked against the bars.

“Get your ass up.”

Yeah, ‘good morning’ would’ve been too polite.

I blinked, still lying on the cold concrete slab they called a bed, My whole body ached from the last match even my soul was limping, you don't wanna know how I walked like, But somehow, hearing my name chanted the other day was still litting a beautiful spark in my chest.

Shadow was already up, lacing his boots like he’d been waiting since midnight.

“Where the hell are we going?” I asked, voice scratchy from sleep and disuse.

“Class.”

I scoffed. “Class? What the hell is this? Murder University?”

Shadow didn’t laugh, just stared at me, of course he didn’t.

“They’ll teach you how to survive. Whether you listen or not is up to you.” He stood and tossed me a shirt. “Wear that and be fast we’re late.”

Great, I was about to be educated in homicide. Love that for me.

We joined the others down the corridor, if you could call it that. It felt more like a zoo walk, with cages instead of dorms, and the smell of sweat, blood, and steel constantly reminding you that hope was something soft people carried, And of course soft didn’t last here.

We entered a room that looked like a bunker and smelled like old metal and gun oil. There were others seated on concrete blocks, eyes sharp, hungry. I recognized the guy I’d fought last, he still had a bruise where my elbow connected with his jaw. He didn’t look mad though, it's not like am staring but He just looked... aware.

“Sit,” a woman barked ... ooh so they got a lady to teach great!.

Short hair. Cold eyes. Scar that ran down her jaw like it was carved there as punishment. She looked like someone who’d stab you just to prove a point.

“Weapons,” she said. “Today’s topic. And before any of you think you know how to use one... trust me, you don’t.”

I barely paid attention to her voice. Instead, my eyes scanned the room. A shadow leaning on the far wall wasn’t watching her—he was watching us. Watching me.

Another recruit leaned forward, listening a bit too hard. And the tall guy with the red hair sitting across from me kept tapping his thumb. Nervous tick? Hidden signal? I wasn’t sure. But I didn’t ignore it.

Class went on. They showed us guns, knives, how to hide a blade in plain sight. I held one of the blades and turned it in my hand slowly, feeling the weight. Clean, sharp, but too flashy.

“I prefer forks,” I muttered.

Shadow rolled his eyes like I was the dumbest person alive.

When the ‘class’ ended, we were marched out again like little soldiers. Shadow leaned in.

“That red-haired guy? Avoid him.”

I raised a brow. “What’s his deal?”

“He likes carving people. Doesn’t even fight for dominance. Just wants to watch something bleed.”

Awesome. Just what I needed. A ginger Hannibal Lecter.

“Good to know,” I muttered.

Instead of heading back to the cage-room, I slipped away, just a little. Not far enough to trigger the guards, but enough to duck into a shadowed corner of the hallway where I could see the foot traffic.

I watched.

That’s the thing no one teaches you in places like this. Everyone here wants to punch, stab, and scream dominance—but the real power? It’s in watching. Knowing who walks where, who talks to who, and who flinches when names are mentioned.

I saw Redhead take something from a guard—something small, wrapped. Bribe? Weapon? He tucked it into his waistband and kept walking.

Another guy with a scar that split his mouth in half like a zipper whispered something to a tall girl—she handed him something shiny. She looked scared.

Huh.

I was still watching when Shadow yanked me by the collar.

“You got a death wish?” he hissed.

“What? I’m just—”

“Spying? Everyone does it. You just suck at hiding it.”

I followed him back reluctantly. My mind was racing. None of these bastards were here just to ‘train.’ They had alliances. Secrets. People backing them from outside. And I… I had no one.

Except maybe Shadow.

Maybe.

Back in the room, Shadow tossed me a water bottle and sat.

“Alright, you wanna stay alive, you listen. First rule: Never eat alone. That’s how they get you.”

“I thought they only kill on the field.”

He gave me a look. “That’s cute. You think rules matter here.”

Well, damn.

“Second rule,” he continued. “Don’t borrow, don’t lend, and don’t make friends with anyone whose name you can’t pronounce.”

I raised a brow. “What about you?”

He smirked. “I’m your roommate. You’re stuck with me.”

Fair enough.

We ate in silence. It wasn’t much. Bread that could break teeth and water that tasted like rust. But my stomach didn’t complain.

At night, as I lay on the slab, I couldn’t sleep. My brain replayed the fight, the class, the whispers I’d caught, the movement I’d watched.

There was something twisted about all this. It wasn’t just a base—it was a chessboard. And I sure as hell wasn’t planning on being a pawn forever.

As I closed my eyes, Shadow’s voice cut through the dark.

“You’re planning something, aren’t you?”

I didn’t answer.

“Whatever it is,” he continued, “just know this. Planning in this place is easy. Surviving it... that’s where s**t gets hard.”

“Goodnight, roommate,” I muttered, turning my back to him.

But deep down, I knew he was right.

Still didn’t mean I was gonna stop planning.