The artificial night over Eternal Era Academy shimmered with streaks of neon-blue sky trains. Inside the team dormitory, most players were asleep, their minds busy replaying tactics and match footage. But one window still glowed faintly — Diego's.
He sat at his desk, a single holo-screen flickering before him, cycling through old match replays. His own highlights. Goals, assists, lightning-fast sprints down the flank. His younger self smiling, chest thumping proudly as crowds chanted his name.
"Diego! Diego! Diego!"
The echoes of those chants rang in his mind like ghosts.
He leaned back, rubbing his eyes. It had been two years since he'd heard that chant in real life. Two years since his name carried weight. Now, he was the backup forward — the forgotten man.
A soft ping from his holo-screen triggered another clip: his debut match for Eternal Era's junior team, back when he was just sixteen.
1. The Rise
