Dawit Mehari lay in bed, the weight of the past few moments heavy on his chest. He stared at the cracked white ceiling of his childhood room in Rotterdam, stunned. His mind raced, unsure if what he was experiencing was real or just a vivid hallucination. Outside, the streets were quiet, the occasional tram buzzing by in the distance. Inside, everything felt too sharp, too alive.
Had he... really come back?
The last memory he had was from the hospital. A mild heart episode, they said. Years of drinking, stress, and not taking care of his body after abandoning football. He remembered lying there, full of regret, mourning the player he could've become. Now, as he looked around the small room with its posters of old Eredivisie stars, an old Feyenoord scarf hanging from the corner of a shelf he realized something unbelievable.
He was sixteen again.
Younger. Healthier. His legs didn't ache anymore. He touched his thighs, his knees, his shins. No pain. No injury.
And then, a voice echoed in his head.
"Welcome, Dawit Mehari."
His eyes widened, scanning the room. No speakers. No one hiding. Just silence.
"I am Amanuel. I will serve as your guide."
"Who… what?" Dawit whispered.
"You have been granted a second chance. Reincarnated into your past self, with one goal: to become the greatest footballer of all time."
He stumbled back onto the bed. "This is a joke. A coma dream."
"No. This is real. Your body is sixteen. Your mind is thirty-eight. And I am here to help."
Suddenly, a shimmering screen popped into view before his eyes. Translucent, glowing faintly gold like a game menu. But it hovered in midair, as real as anything else in the room.
System Initialization Complete.
User: Dawit Mehari
New Life Integration: 100%
Starter Package Unlocked
Status Window Unlocked
The display changed before he could react.
Name: Dawit Mehari
Age: 16
Origin: Rotterdam, Netherlands (Eritrean descent)
Club: Alexandria '66 (Amateur)
Position: Undefined
Overall Rating: 60
Core Attributes:
Passing:E
Dribbling:D
Shooting:E
Speed:D
Stamina:C
Vision:D
Dawit read the numbers in disbelief. "This is like… FIFA stats."
"Correct. This system will monitor your football development in real time. You will gain experience through training, matches, achievements, and more. As you progress, you can improve your attributes, unlock new abilities, and access special features."
Another screen opened beside it.
Available Features:
Training Tracker
Skill Shop
Inventory
Mentor Sessions (Unlock cost: 1,000 TC)
World Reputation Tracker (Progress needed)
"You will accumulate experience points through consistent effort. But XP alone won't unlock everything. Talent Coins (TC ) are the official in-system currency. They're earned via performances, milestones, and rare events. With them, you can unlock mentor sessions, buy skillbooks, and access special items."
A third screen replaced the others.
XP Sources:
Training (Repeated effort required)
Matches (Based on performance metrics)
Team Achievements (Trophies, promotions, etc.)
Individual Awards (Player of the match, league honors)
Special Moments (Story-based triggers)
Talent Coins (TC) Uses:
Shop purchases
Mentor sessions (Real historic players only)
Skillbooks (Football and real-life skills: music, language, etc.)
Consumables (Energy drinks, temporary boosts)
Then came a final message:
Newbie Gift Pack Received!
Contents:
+10 TC
Energy Drink x1
Skillbook (Eritrean Tigrinya - Passive Boost)
Training Booster (1-Hour Duration)
Mystery Passive Trait: "Resilience" permanently reduces XP required by 5%
Dawit blinked. "This… this is insane."
He looked at his hands again. He remembered the day his leg injury happened. A pulled muscle that never healed right. He fell into depression, became bitter, started treating his family poorly, resenting anyone who tried to help. Years passed. His parents eventually divorced, partly due to the stress, and his relationship with his siblings fractured.
But now?
He had a second chance.
"I won't waste this," he whispered to himself, fists clenched.
"You are currently registered at Alexandria '66," Amanuel said. "You must go there. Begin from the bottom. Play well. Train hard. If you want to be great, if you truly want to redeem your life, it starts now."
Dawit felt tears sting his eyes. Not from sadness, but gratitude. His heart pounded in his chest, full of fire.
Then, he realized something.
"You don't have a name, do you?"
"I have a designation."
He thought for a moment, then smiled. "Then I'll call you Amanuel. It means 'God is with us' in Tigrinya. Seems fitting."
A pause. Then the voice responded, softer this time.
"Accepted. I will respond to Amanuel from now on."
Suddenly, another prompt appeared.
Would you like to activate your Daily Training Plan?
Yes/No
Dawit smirked. "Yes."
The screen faded, and a new objective list appeared in his mind's eye.
Daily Training Goals:
Jog 3km
Complete 50 short passes
10 Dribbling drills
Stretching (10 minutes)
Wall passes (100 touches)
"Complete this before sundown to receive your first XP bonus. You will not gain XP during activities. All progress is tallied afterward for clarity and performance evaluation."
Dawit grabbed his old football shorts and put on his Alexandria '66 jersey. The material felt familiar. Like old skin. He laced up his cleats, real ones, not the worn-out shoes he used to wear in his twenties and opened his window. The early morning air rushed in.
He whispered a short prayer, crossing himself the Orthodox way, forehead to chest, shoulder to shoulder.
"Thank you, God. I won't waste it."
As he stepped outside into the cool Rotterdam morning, he had one thought in his mind:
This time… I'll make it all the way.