MIRROR CAGE – CHAPTER 4: SNAKES IN UNIFORM
"The worst betrayal doesn't come from your enemies. It comes from those who smiled at your victories."
[6:27 AM – Elijah's Apartment, Mainland Slums]
The room stank of damp plaster and kerosene smoke. Elijah stood shirtless by the cracked mirror, eyeing both reflections—the one he'd been born with and the one that didn't quite belong to him.
He wasn't sure which one was more real anymore.
Cognitive Sync: 94%
Fragmentation Warning: Moderate
He wiped the condensation from the mirror and whispered to no one, "You still in there?"
No response. Just his own dead eyes blinking back.
[7:51 AM – Lagos Megazone District 9, Academy Campus]
In the Perfect body, he walked like gravity worked differently for him. People moved for him now. Even the janitor greeted him.
His reputation was snowballing. Not because he was doing anything—but because other people were doing it for him. Clips, rumors, edits, whispers.
The name "Elijah Cole" had started circulating through school networks like smoke from a fire.
It was all fake. But they didn't care.
Social System Update – Passive Data Feed
Name: Elijah Cole
Visibility Tier: A-
Perceived Value: +12
Projected Market Worth: ₦4.3M/month potential (sponsorship simulation)
Social AI Tags: "Alpha Ascendant," "Underdog Myth," "Status Disruptor"
"Yo, Elijah!" someone shouted as he stepped into the gym wing.
Tariq, a local streetball player with over 200k followers and district-wide clout, clapped him on the back. "You're training today? You should link with Coach Yemi. He's lookin' for raw talent to sponsor."
"I'll think about it," Elijah said coolly.
The truth? He had no idea how to play this version of the game yet.
Gym Locker Room – 8:16 AM
The gym had its own micro-ecosystem. Testosterone. Grunts. Alpha rituals. And subtle power plays.
Elijah sat on the bench lacing his sneakers when Junior Adisa walked in.
Captain of the school boxing club. Local celebrity. Dark-skinned, tatted, towering.
He locked eyes with Elijah.
"Cole, right?" Junior said, walking over. "You think you slick?"
Elijah stood slowly. "What's the problem?"
"The problem is you skipped the ladder. Nobody knows where you're from, who you trained under, or who vouched for you."
The locker room grew silent.
Junior stepped closer. "Respect ain't just given 'cause you look pretty."
Tension.
Elijah smiled. "And you think it's earned by barking at new blood?"
The crowd ooh'd softly. A few phones subtly lifted.
Junior's eyes narrowed. "Step into the ring today after class. We'll see if that body of yours is just for the 'gram."
[After Class – Underground Boxing Pit Beneath Gymnasium]
Illegal but tolerated. Students bet money, favor, clout. Cameras recorded everything but only insiders had access.
Elijah stood bare-chested in the pit. His muscles gleamed with sweat. He was still unsure if he could fight. He only remembered flashes—instincts that didn't feel like his own. From the Perfect version of him.
Junior stood across from him, cracking his neck, grinning.
"Ready to get humbled?" Junior smirked.
DING.
The crowd howled.
Junior rushed in like a charging bull. Elijah ducked the first blow, pivoted, and slammed a clean liver shot that made the crowd flinch.
He didn't think. His body moved.
Three more dodges. A hook that clipped Junior's temple.
Junior snarled and grabbed him, trying to dirty box, but Elijah twisted free with a smooth shoulder dip—a move he'd never learned.
"I'm not just wearing this body," Elijah thought. "It's teaching me."
Junior came in again.
Bad angle.
Bad idea.
Elijah stepped in and landed a brutal uppercut that sent Junior sprawling into the ropes.
Silence.
Then—
"KO!" someone yelled.
[Aftermath – Locker Room]
Tami showed up again, leaning against the wall.
"You really just humiliated Junior," she said, handing him a water bottle.
He took it. "He asked for it."
"You're starting to scare people," she said. "Keep winning like this and you'll either be recruited... or erased."
"Recruited by who?"
She looked at him, really looked. "You think this school's at the top of the food chain?"
She handed him a card. Jet-black. Embossed with a single golden circle. No name. No logo.
"Show up at this location. Midnight. Don't wear your school ID. Come as you really are."
Then she left.
That Night – [Switch]
Elijah sat on his bed in his old body. Staring at the card.
His fingers trembled.
"Come as you really are."
That meant this body. The one no one remembered. The one that still stank of rejection.
He exhaled sharply.
"No mask this time."
[Mirror System Update]
Fragmentation Risk: Rising (96%)
Cognitive Sync Surge Detected
You are approaching the event horizon.
He slipped on a hoodie. Walked out the door.
Toward the invitation.
Toward a deeper level of the game.