Ghost Entry

The burnt-orange sun dipped behind the horizon casting long shadows across the cracked desert flats outside the Capital City’s main gate. A low, electric hum lingered in the dry air—residue from the barrier field preparing to seal the city in a dome of tech designed to keep anything from getting in and out.

Two EX-19-class stealth shuttles were stationed at the entrance, loading in some equipments. Drones buzzed along its perimeter like gnats made of steel, their motion-tracking sensors sweeping across the sands with ruthless efficiency.

Grayson stepped off his matte-black N-V12 Skybike, the engine sighing into silence with a mechanical purr. He adjusted the hood of his longcoat and scanned the expanse behind them. On the distant main road to the Capital checkpoint, a gridlock of transports stretched like a slow-moving wound, stuck behind towering Enforcer mechs and reinforced barricades.

Parked beside him were three other bikes—each cobbled together from scavenged tech and custom upgrades. Despite their patchwork origins, they gleamed with precision craftsmanship, nearly indistinguishable from the latest corporate models.

Tala cracked her knuckles, her silhouette cutting sharp against the horizon. She wore tight combat gear layered with reinforced plating, a set of mirrored goggles resting on her head.

“He said four sharp,” she muttered, crossing her arms. “It’s nearly five. He’s making us wait again, isn’t he?”

Grayson smirked, half-turning to her. “You know him. He loves grand entrances.”

A short flare of fire sparked in the corner of his vision.

Alaric Venn leaned against his rust-colored bike, a cigarette glowing between his lips. He closed a lighter engraved with a strange tri-looped serpent, the coils eating into each other

“If your guy makes us stand out here much longer, I’m sending a message in smoke.”

Jarek, tall and broad-shouldered, unstrapped two weathered duffel bags from his back. His armor —an old-world military relic—creaked as he moved, but his movements carried the weight of someone who’d been through more wars than the city kept records of.

He heaved one of the bags at Venn’s back.

“Ow…the hell, man!”

“Carry your own damn load, Mr. Venn. And pass me one of those cigs before I regret coming outta retirement for this shit.”

Venn scowled but obliged, pulling out another cigarette and placing it between Jarek’s lips. The lighter flicked again, the serpent symbol catching the dying light as flame met paper.

“Ah, much better.: Jarek exhaled deeply, smoke curling like ghosts around his silver beard. “Mr Grayson…let’s meet this mystery man of yours.”

Suddenly, the low hum of an approaching vehicle echoed from a distance.

From the same direction they’d come, a sleek black hovercraft glided toward them, kicking up a muted trail of sand. Its body was obsidian-smooth, all angles and stealth design, its windows darker than night. The dying sun glinted off the polished shell like a warning flare.

It came to a stop a few meters from them, exhaling softly as its doors hissed open.

Two men stepped out.

The first was tall and immaculate, his white suit unwrinkled, his blonde hair slicked back with precision. A carefully trimmed goatee framed his smug jawline.

“Grayson. Tala.” He spread his arms like an old friend returning home. “It’s been too long. And look at this… new faces! The more the merrier, I always say.”

He embraced Grayson briefly, then turned toward Tala with open arms.

She stepped back, unimpressed.

“And here I thought we were becoming closer after all we’ve been through.”

Tala shrugged. “First of all, we aren’t becoming close anything and second… you’re late.”

Dominic placed a hand dramatically on his chest. “Wounded. Truly. You cut deep.”

She gave him a flat look.

Dominic chuckled, then turned toward the second figure—taller, bulkier, dressed in matte black tactical gear with a hood shadowing most of his face. His presence was quiet, almost unsettling.

“This fine gentleman is Mr. Black. You want into the Capital without the Enforcers noticing? He’s your guy.”

Grayson stepped forward and offered a hand.

“Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Black.”

Mr. Black didn’t speak. Just stared—blank, unreadable—before reaching out with a gloved hand and clasping Grayson’s in a slow, deliberate shake. His grip was ice-cold like steel left out overnight.

Dominic interjected, stepping between them with a grin.

“Ah, he says likewise.”

Venn raised an eyebrow, already unimpressed. He tossed his spent cigarette and stomped it out. “Who the hell is this lad?” He stepped toward Dominic, sneering. “I Don’t like your face.”

Dominic shrugged, unbothered. “Nice company you keep these days, Grayson.”

Jarek stepped forward, puffing on his smoke. “I’ll back Mr.Venn on this one,” he said, voice gravel-thick. “Back where I’m from, when someone greets you, you greet ’em back. Staying silent? That’s just plain rude, boy.”

Dominic raised his hands. “Whoa, no disrespect here, old-timer. Mr. Black here had a…freak accident months ago. Chemical exposure, damaging his throat but I will happily serve as his official translator, so no worries.”

Tala frowned. “And we’re just supposed to trust you’ll tell us what he really means?”

Dominic’s grin dimmed. “I get why you’re worried but even I wouldn’t betray my own brother. He’s only here to show us the way then disappear.”

“You didn’t say anything about him joining us.” Tala crossed her arms looking at Grayson.

Grayson glanced at Tala, then Jarek. “It’s the only way he would agree to help.”

Dominic looked around the group with mock solemnity. “Cross my heart, I’ll be on my best behavior.” He pressed his hands together in mock prayer. “Honest.”

A drone passed overhead forcing them to hide. Towers blinked with surveillance lights pulsing with energy and from this distance, the massive security barricade looked more like a warzone than a checkpoint.

Enforcers lined the perimeter in force—shoulder-to-shoulder, armed with rail rifles and exo-enhanced armor. High-speed drones circled overhead, scanning every incoming transport. Searchlights fanned across the checkpoint, illuminating vehicles, checking faces.

They crouched behind a ridge overlooking the main gate.

Dominic’s voice cut through the tension. “As you can see travel buddies, security is tighter than usual.”

He paused reading a message on his neural display.

“And from what Mr. Black tells me, it’s about to get even worse.”

“Why?” Tala asked, tying her hair into a loose bun.

“See those two towers, they’re about to transmit a barrier enclosing the entire city making sure nothing gets in or out. Something big is going down and if we miss this opportunity, we won’t get inside for who knows how long.”

Grayson narrowed his eyes. “Let’s not waste time then. Tell Mr. Black to get us in.”

Without warning, Mr. Black turned and began to move—soundless, efficient, like a shadow peeling away from the light.

Dominic turned to follow. “Why are you all staring? Come on. Follow the man.”

They trailed Mr. Black across a forgotten ravine carved behind a dune. He led them to the base of a decommissioned refueling station half-buried in sand and ash. With silent efficiency, he pried open a rusted panel, revealing a narrow service grate.

Grayson crouched beside it. “You’re sure this still works?”

Black didn’t answer—but he didn’t hesitate either. He dropped inside first, vanishing into the shadows. Dominic followed after clapping Grayson on the shoulder. “Don’t worry, he’s got this.”

The tunnel was old—half broken down. The walls were coated in grime, the air thick with static and the faint stench of urine. Signal interference sparked off the metal grids.

Black led the way, placing small cylindrical devices at key intervals. With each one, a pulse rippled outward, disrupting drone signals and surveillance triggers.

“This guy is good,” Tala whispered. “He moves like a ghost.”

“No. He moves like a soldier,” Jarek corrected, hand on the hilt of his blade.

The group moved deeper into the tunnel system, Black’s devices pulsing faintly behind them like breadcrumbs made of static.

The air grew denser, thicker. Sparks jumped from frayed wires dangling like vines, and steam hissed from broken vents, giving the narrow corridor an almost living quality—like it was breathing.

Venn wiped sweat from his brow. “Smells like a dying circuit board in here.”

“Means we’re getting close,” Dominic replied, eyes flicking to the decaying walls.

“These tunnels used to run beneath the original city grid. Before the tech companies buried it under steel.”

Suddenly, Mr. Black raised a closed fist.

Everyone froze.

A faint metallic click echoed from the shadows ahead. Then another. Then five more.

Jarek’s fingers curled around his hilt again. “Same sound I heard before. I thought I was hallucinating. Their movement is coordinated.”

A single drop of sweat slid down Jarek’s face. Even that sound was too loud than the tunnel they were in.

Grayson activated his wrist-mounted neural interface bringing up a tactical overlay.

“No heat signatures. They must be using that new cloaking tech”

Grayson then put his hood up. Tala already had her sidearm drawn.

“Why does this always happen when I meet up with you, Grayson?” Dominic muttered, his hand inching toward his concealed weapon under his suit.

Above them, a thunk rattled through the ceiling. Then another.

Tala cursed under her breath. “They’re cornering us!”

A metal panel concealed by veins overhead exploded downward in a rain of debris. Dominic pulled Mr. Black out just in time.

Enforcers dropped in front of them like mechanized reapers.

They wore black-and-gray armor with built-in exosuits that hissed with pneumatic power, their visors glowing a dark red. Each carried a heavy rail rifle, and behind them came the unmistakable thud of heavier steps.

One of the Enforcers stepped forward, his boots thudding with authority. Short-cropped dark hair and sharp green eyes—his gaze swept over them like a scanner. The gold insignia on his chestplate marked him as a captain.

He leveled his rifle squarely at Grayson’s chest.
“Hands up. Now,” he barked, accent clipped and unmistakably British. “You’ve got five seconds to convince me you’re not with the Black Masks.”

RECAP (If you want, Like a guide it's not necessary)

Most of the characters in this chapter I have already introduced previously: You can reread those chapters.

VENN – CHAPTER 2 FIRST APPEARANCE as the "Suspect"

DOMINIC – CHAPTER 8 FIRST APPEARANCE

JAREK – technically appears in chapter 5 as an unnamed/ tall figure in dark combat armor

TALA – technically appears in chapter 5/ combat gear and goggles