The sun was a lazy glow over the academy's main pitch, the kind of light that made every blade of grass look like it was flexing for the 'gram. Leon tightened his laces, PlaySight humming in his skull like a low-key hype track. The friendly match against Crestwood Academy, a mid-tier squad with a chip on their shoulder, was about to kick off, and the vibes were straight-up electric.
Player: Leon Vale
Level: 3
EXP: 18 / 300
Agile Step Lv. 1 – 25%
Stats: Dribbling 50, Passing 57, Shooting 42, Vision 17, Mental 46, Speed 53, Stamina 51
ZANE-003 Echo: Passive | Sync Drift 7%
Coach Davor prowled the sidelines, clipboard in hand, his voice a gravelly bark. "This ain't a montage, boys. Read the game, not just the ball. Vale, you're central midfield. Keep it tight."
Leon nodded, catching Kael's smirk from across the formation. "Don't choke out there, Vale," Kael said, tossing his hair. "Wouldn't want you embarrassing us."
"Worry about your own game, pretty boy," Leon shot back, grinning. The crowd of academy kids hooted, and Kael's eyes narrowed, a flicker of something heavier than his usual ego.
The whistle blew, and Crestwood came out swinging, their press like a pack of wolves on Red Bull. Leon's minimap blinked every three seconds, red dots swarming his 30-meter radius. He stayed calm, letting Agile Step guide his feet as he received a pass from Theo.
Kael was supposed to cut left, opening a lane. Instead, he froze, leaving Leon stranded as two defenders closed in. Classic Kael sabotage, Leon thought, heart pounding. The minimap flared red, but he didn't need it. He spun, Agile Step pulsing like a cheat code, and slipped the ball through a defender's legs, a spicy nutmeg that had the crowd yelling "Oof!"
Leon sprinted forward, eyes scanning. Theo was open. He fired a crisp pass, and Theo buried it in the net. 1–0.
+15 EXP (Assist)
+1 Dribbling
The sideline erupted, but Kael's stare was colder than a polar plunge. "Lucky move," he muttered, jogging past. "Some of us don't get to screw up and still look good."
Leon raised an eyebrow. "Sounds like you're carrying more than just the ball, Rivas." Kael's jaw twitched, like Leon had hit a nerve. What's his deal? Leon wondered, sensing the weight behind Kael's words, something about no second chances, like in the last drill.
Coach Davor clapped from the sidelines. "Vale, that's what I mean—see the field, not just the play. Keep it up." His eyes lingered, sharp, like he was piecing together Leon's edge but wasn't ready to call it out.
At halftime, the score held at 1–0, but Crestwood was clawing back. Leon chugged water, sweat dripping, when Aria appeared, tablet in hand, looking like she'd just cracked the code to the Matrix. "That nutmeg was straight fire," she said, smirking. "But you're still leaning on that system vibe. I saw your eyes flicker, another glitch?"
Leon wiped his face, caught off guard by how her smile made his pulse skip. "Maybe. You gonna keep stalking my stats, or you got a life outside that tablet?"
She laughed, stepping closer, her voice dropping. "Oh, I've got a life, Vale. But I'm not letting you crash and burn like Zane. His data showed the same spikes, too fast, too perfect. You're better than that." Her fingers brushed his arm, just for a second, and Leon's brain short-circuited harder than a ZANE-003 glitch.
"Keep talking like that, and I might think you're rooting for me," he said, leaning in, testing the vibe. Aria's eyes sparkled, a mystery wrapped in a challenge.
"Who says I'm not?" she teased, then turned serious. "But for real, ease off the system. You don't need a ghost to ball out."
Leon nodded, her words hitting like a clutch save. Aria wasn't just data—she was the edge keeping him from Zane's burnout. Maybe more than that, if he let himself think about it.
The second half kicked off, and Crestwood equalized with a screamer from 20 yards. 1–1. Leon gritted his teeth, minimap pulsing as he chased a loose ball. Kael cut in, shoulder-checking him harder than necessary. "You're slipping, Vale," he hissed. "Can't hide behind tricks forever."
Leon pushed back, using Agile Step to weave past Kael and intercept a pass. The move wasn't system-guided, it was pure instinct, sharpened by Aria's warning. He sent the ball to Theo, who nearly scored, but the keeper tipped it out.
+8 EXP (Interception)
Post-match, the 1–1 draw felt like a win for Leon. Coach Davor pulled him aside. "You're starting to read the game like it's yours, not someone else's," he said, voice low. "Whatever's in your head, use it wisely. I've seen players burn out chasing shortcuts." His gaze was heavy, like he saw more than he let on.
Leon nodded, heart racing. Davor was guiding him, not just as a coach but as someone who knew the cost of pushing too far.
As the team dispersed, Aria lingered by the bleachers. "Not bad, hotshot," she said, tossing him a water bottle. "You played like you, not some system puppet. Keep that up, and you might just survive this place."
Leon caught the bottle, grinning. "Survive? I'm out here trying to flex on Kael and maybe impress a certain data nerd."
Aria rolled her eyes, but her smile was all kinds of trouble. "Keep dreaming, Vale. But maybe I'll let you try." She walked off, leaving Leon with a buzz that wasn't just from the match.
In his dorm that night, PlaySight glowed faint blue. The ZANE-003 sync drift ticked up to 8%, a quiet warning. Aria's voice echoed: You're better than that. Kael's jab lingered too something about no second chances, like a scar he didn't want seen. The tournament was coming, and Leon knew he wasn't just fighting for a spot. He was fighting to be his own player, with Aria as his edge and Kael as the fire pushing him forward.
HUD Log
Leon Vale – Level 3
EXP: 41 / 300
Stats:
Dribbling: 51 (+1) Passing: 57 Shooting: 42 Vision: 17 Mental: 46 Speed: 53 Stamina: 51
Agile Step Lv. 1 – 28%
ZANE-003 Sync Drift: 8%