I wasn't nervous.
I told myself that every two minutes.
Didn't work.
The scrimmage against Lunar Titans Youth wasn't just a friendly. It was a measuring stick — Earth's third-tier academy versus a top-five Lunar program.
We'd trained for this all week.
And now I was starting.
Midfield. Number 8. Alongside Soren — my rival, my shadow, my bench-warmer nightmare.
---
The stadium was quiet. Not full — just scouts, staff, and a few hovering media drones. But still… the air buzzed with pressure.
"You ready, Vega?" Musa slapped my back.
"As I'll ever be."
He grinned. "Don't choke. We're in front of our crushes today."
I frowned. "What?"
He jerked his head toward the observation deck.
Elira.
Hair up. Tablet in hand and watching. Eyes unreadable.
"Just play your game," Kenji muttered, stepping beside me as we lined up. "Nothing else matters."
---
⚽️ First Half
The whistle blew.
Lunar Titans played like liquid — passes snapped, players moved like they were on hovertracks. They'd clearly been training together for years.
We held out for fifteen minutes.
Then they struck.
A one-two pass shredded our right flank. Our center-backs stepped late. The Lunar forward curved a low shot into the far post.
0–1.
Soren cursed under his breath. I chased shadows for the next five minutes, unable to get a proper touch. Every time I turned, the space I wanted was gone.
They were fast. Not just physically — mentally.
I pressed. I passed. Nothing stuck.
Then… another counter.
They baited us high, then launched a long ball behind. Our keeper rushed out, but the Titan striker flicked it over him like it was a training drill.
0–2.
We were getting schooled.
---
🔁 Halftime
Coach Navarro didn't scream.
He just looked us all dead in the eye and said: "You've got forty-five minutes to show me who wants it."
And walked away.
---
Soren wouldn't look at me. Probably blamed me.
Musa just shook his head. "We're not clicking."
I sat, breathing through the burn in my lungs. Thinking.
And then I saw it.
> [TRAIT: Vision – 94% Compatibility]
⚠️ "Unlock possible. Requires instinctive, high-pressure read. One chance."
No overlays. No cheat prompts.
Just a quiet alert.
One chance.
I didn't know when. But I'd be ready.
---
⚽️ Second Half
We came out sharper.
Kenji read the switch early, cutting off the pass wide before they could stretch the field. Musa barked instructions, urging the press, waving us higher up the pitch.
Then, in the 64th minute…
The chance came.
We intercepted a pass. I had the ball. Three Titans converging. Soren was peeling wide left. Musa running straight. I had half a second to decide.
My brain screamed one thing.
But my gut… saw another.
> [🧠 Decision Point: Vision Unlock Triggered]
I looked right, feinted a pass — then spun left and threaded a diagonal ball through a gap I hadn't seen a second earlier.
Musa received. One touch. Shot.
Goal. 1–2.
The crowd gasped. Even the drones zoomed in.
I froze.
Then the system pinged.
> ✅ TRAIT UNLOCKED: Vision (Xavi)
"Congratulations. You saw the pass before it existed."
---
Everything slowed after that.
Not in a magical way, just… clearer.
I saw space forming before it opened. I intercepted two passes. Created two chances. One almost went in — Soren hit the post.
But the equalizer never came.
Final whistle.
1–2.
We lost.
But the energy was different.
---
🧠 Post-Match
Soren sat on the bench, towel over his head. Not angry — just tired.
Musa bumped my shoulder. "Nice pass."
"That was you finishing it," I muttered.
Musa grinned. "You cooked, bro. Don't be humble."
Coach Navarro stood by the sideline. He gave me a look — unreadable. Then nodded. Just once.
But the real surprise?
Elira.
She was waiting just off the field.
"You saw it," she said softly.
I nodded. "I didn't even think. I just… acted."
> "That's how it starts."
I looked at her.
And for the first time, I didn't feel like some Earth kid pretending to belong.
I felt… on the path.
---
Not a win but a moment.
And I'd take that any day.