Chapter 90 INTO THE RING
MERRIELYNN.
I leaned against the lockers, my arms crossed as Emorie and Tobias chatted beside me.
I wasn’t really paying attention because my head was still spinning from all that happened when I went out with Em. From the flashbacks, to seeing Cormac’s sister somewhere in my memories and that woman at the store…
Something wasn’t right.s
“Mere,” Emorie called, bumping me with her elbow. “You’re zoning out again.”
“Sorry,” I said, forcing a weak smile. “Just... tired.”
I was going to say more but then I saw him striding through the hallways opposite me.
Cormac.
He was crossing the hallway, his head held high, moving like he didn’t notice—or didn’t care—how people automatically got out of his way. My stomach tightened and I thought about going to him, telling him… I didn’t even know.
But the idea evaporated immediately I noticed Valtor walking beside him.
The second Valtor came into view, his head turned. His eyes swept through the hallway until they landed on me and I saw his gaze immediately harden into a glare.
What the hell was his problem?
He’d been really cold lately and it was becoming bothersome.
I stared right back him, my back stiff against the lockers. The intensity of his look wasn’t just cold; it was hostile too.
Like I’d done something unforgivable.
It was bothersome.
Cormac must’ve noticed. He turned slightly, following Valtor’s line of sight. When his eyes met mine, he held it, but only for a moment before his attention shifted to Tobias standing beside me .
I saw it the moment his gaze also hardened into something hostile.
What was wrong with everybody today?
His eyes narrowed, lingering on Tobias like he was trying to size him up. He didn’t stop walking and didn’t say a word, he just stared.
Valtor reached out, resting his hand on the back of Cormac’s neck as they walked away.
Cormac let him.
And I frowned as they walked way, unsure what to make of that.
Valtor’s hand placement looked casual, but part of me thought it came off as a little bit possessive.
I watched them disappear through the crowd, my heart racing for reasons I couldn’t explain.
“Mere?” Emorie’s voice snapped me back to reality.
“Huh?” I turned to her, startled.
“You okay?” She whispered, her eyes searching my face with concern.
“I’m fine,” I lied, slamming my locker shut harder than I meant to.
A burst of giggles rang out somewhere behind me, quickly followed by soft whispers from a group of girls. I didn’t need to turn around to know what they were talking about. The rumors about an underground fight had been spreading all day.
“Are you going?” one asked the other.
“You bet I am!” she squealed loudly. “Chaos’ is gonna wreck whoever’s dumb enough to step in the ring with him.”
I sighed, my grip on my textbook tightening. It was ridiculous how much such a violent activity was idolized.
How was it that something as reckless and violent as illegal fights had become entertainment? I knew the girls were only going because Cormac was going to be fighting.
Goddess.. how many vices did Cormac have?
“Mere?” Tobias’ voice pulled me back. I blinked and turned toward him.
“Yeah?”
“Got plans tonight?” he asked casually, leaning his shoulder against the locker.
I hesitated. “I don’t think so. Why?”
He shrugged, running a hand through his hair. “Thought we could all hang out, maybe grab some food after school or something.”
I started to nod, but the whispers behind me tugged at my curiosity. What was so interesting about these fights anyway?
The truth was, I didn’t have plans.
But now... I kind of wanted to see for myself.
Not the fight, exactly.
But… Cormac. I wanted to watch him, and maybe if I caught him afterward, I could finally talk to him. Get some clarity.
“To be honest,” I said slowly, “I actually do have plans tonight, Tobias.”
He raised an eyebrow and he almost looked disappointed. While Emorie shot me a sly, knowing look. “Really?” she asked teasing.
I avoided her gaze. “Yeah. Just... something I need to check out.”
\-x-x-
That night, the place was packed.
I hated it the second I walked inside.
The air was heavy and damp, reeking of sweat and stale beer that clung to everything. Everyone was talking over each other and it was just noisy. I didn’t fail to notice the energy in the crowd though as people shoved closer to the makeshift ring in the center of the warehouse.
It was an absolute riot—loud, suffocating, overwhelming.
“Why are we here again?” Tobias muttered, glancing around warily.
Emorie smirked before answering in a loud voice. “Because Mere has plans, remember?”
“Stop it Em,” I muttered under my breath, pushing my way through the crowd. The truth was, I wasn’t even sure why I was still here considering what was happening all around me. My chest was tight, a knot of nerves and dread twisting inside me, but leaving didn’t feel like an option.
Not yet.
The announcer’s voice thundered over the speakers, barely audible through the riot. I caught fragments of what he said—something about the fighters, the rules, the stakes—but it was hard to focus.
Until I heard his name.
“CHAOS!”
The crowd erupted, screaming and shoving, pulling at the next person and roaring in each other’s faces.
I stretched on my toes, craning my neck to see the ring, but the sea of bodies around me was impossible to break through. All I could catch were glimpses—an edge of the ring, blurred movements—but not enough to make sense of it.
The fight started, and the noise hit a fever pitch.
Cheers, jeers, the sound of fists meeting flesh in a punch. I winced when I heard the crack of bone, my stomach flipping.
I couldn’t see much, but I didn’t need to. The crowd’s reaction told me everything and it was obvious Cormac was winning.
Another thud, another roar. The fight dragged on, and even though what connected me to the fight were the punches I heard, my heart was hammering in my chest.
Finally, it was over and the noise died down a little bit. The announcer eventually declared Cormac the winner, and the crowd erupted in louder cheers.
I exhaled slowly, my body aching from the tension I hadn’t realized I was holding. I was ready to find him now. But the crowd wasn’t thinning. It was a wall of people.
Emorie pulled my arm, startling me. “We should get out of here.”
I hesitated, scanning the room for Cormac one last time. She was right. There was no way I’d get close—not tonight.
“Yeah,” I said finally, nodding at her and Tobias who obviously couldn’t wait to leave. “Let’s go.”
Later that night, I sat on the edge of my bed, staring at the ceiling, exhausted. I reached for my phone, half-thinking about texting Emorie to distract myself, but then it buzzed in my hand with a notification.
I read the message.
‘You came to my match.’
I froze, quickly sitting up and staring at the screen. It was Cormac.
I’d never saved his number.
How did he even know I was there with all the people? I debated ignoring it, but my fingers moved on their own, typing out a simple response.
‘I did.’
The three dots indicating he was typing appeared almost instantly.
‘Why?’
I hesitated, thinking about how to answer that. Why had I gone?
To talk to him, sure.
Finally, I typed back:
‘I wanted to talk to you about something. I was going to wait till after.’
The reply came quickly:
‘Why didn’t you?’
‘It was too crowded,’ I typed, hitting send before I could second-guess myself.
For a while, nothing.
There was no reply, and I just stared at the screen, waiting, feeling uneasy as the silence stretched on.
Finally, my phone buzzed again.
‘Still want to ask?’
My fingers hovered over the keyboard in hesitation. But then I replied, ‘Not over the phone.’
This time, the silence lasted longer.
Minutes ticked by, and I quickly grew impatient. I almost convinced myself that he wasn’t going to respond at all. Maybe he was busy with something, or maybe he just didn’t want to talk.
Just when I put my phone away, it lit up, and I heard the sound of a new message.
I picked the phone up again and read his message:
‘There’s a car waiting for you outside.’