Ethan realised something was wrong the moment his phone started vibrating before his alarm.
Not buzzing.
Not chiming.
Vibrating.
He reached for it groggily and squinted at the screen. Notifications stacked on notifications. Instagram. Messages. Mentions. DMs he hadn't opened and probably never would.
He sat up slowly.
"This is stupid," he muttered.
The system appeared faintly.
Exposure Level: Elevated
No kidding.
He opened Instagram for exactly six seconds before closing it again. Half of the messages were brands he'd never heard of. The other half were people pretending to be something they weren't.
One DM read:
We can make you famous. Just reply.
Ethan laughed once and deleted the app.
Training was meant to ground him.
It mostly did.
Until halfway through, when Jordan pulled him aside.
"Quick word," Jordan said, keeping his voice casual. "Nothing official. England U21s are updating their monitoring list. Your name's on it."
Ethan's mouth went dry. "On it how?"
Jordan shrugged. "Watching. That's all."
System:
National Selection Probability: Updated
It still didn't say by how much.
Alex Neil didn't wait long to reinforce boundaries.
He gathered the group after drills, arms folded, eyes sharp. "I know some of you are getting attention. Media. Brands. Noise." His gaze lingered on Ethan for half a second longer than the rest. "Football comes first. Always. Fame doesn't help you defend. Doesn't help you track back. Remember that."
Ethan nodded with everyone else.
Message received.
Back in the changing room, the noise returned instantly.
One of the lads leaned over. "Mate, my cousin swears you can get two grand for one post."
"Two grand?" another said. "That's robbery. Should be at least five."
Ethan frowned. "I don't even know what I'd post."
"Picture of you existing," someone said. "Caption it something deep."
The system chimed softly.
Monetisation Pathway: Unlocked
That didn't feel real either.
Later that afternoon, his agent called.
"Small thing," the agent said, too casually. "Local brand. Sportswear. One post, one appearance. Ten grand."
Ethan went quiet.
"Ten?" he repeated.
"Clean money," the agent added. "Nothing dodgy."
Ethan stared at the wall. Ten thousand pounds. Not in bonuses. Not over time. Just… at once.
"I need to think," he said.
"That's fine," the agent replied. "Just don't take too long."
The system didn't speak.
Which somehow made the number heavier.
The sponsor shoot confirmation came that evening.
Nothing dramatic. Just a date. A location. A list of names attached.
One stood out immediately.
Kaia Gerber.
Ethan read it twice.
Then a third time, just to be sure.
He didn't react. Didn't text anyone. Didn't say a word.
The group chat did that for him.
"No way."
"That's mad."
"Bro Google her RIGHT NOW."
Ethan turned his phone face down.
He wasn't meeting anyone. Not yet. Not really.
Still, his pulse refused to slow.
Matchday came before he could overthink it properly.
He started again.
The crowd felt closer this time. Louder. Less forgiving.
In the seventh minute, the chance fell to him. Clean look. Space. Time.
He rushed it.
The shot went wide.
The reaction was immediate. Groans. Sharp, impatient.
System:
Confidence Stability: Tested
Ethan pressed his lips together and jogged back into position. No sulk. No apology. Just focus.
He simplified. Passed early. Moved constantly. Let the game come back to him.
In the seventy-eighth minute, he did something unglamorous. Chased a lost cause. Nipped in front of the defender. Took the contact.
Free kick. Dangerous area.
The goal came from it.
The stadium erupted.
Ethan didn't celebrate. He just nodded once and jogged back.
System:
Impact Recognition: Logged
Sometimes that was enough.
The payment landed two days later.
£10,000.
Ethan stared at his bank balance until the numbers stopped feeling imaginary. He split it immediately. Savings. Rent. Family. A little left over.
The system updated.
Financial Tier: Semi-Professional+
That felt accurate.
That night, alone in his flat, Ethan lay on the sofa, ceiling light off, city glow filtering through the curtains. His phone buzzed again. He ignored it.
The system appeared differently this time. Sharper. Clearer.
Template Synchronisation Accelerating
Risk of Identity Drift Detected
Ethan frowned.
"Identity drift?"
No explanation followed.
Just the sense that whatever was helping him rise… was starting to ask for more than effort.
Success, it seemed, wasn't free.
And the bill had only just arrived.
END OF CHAPTER 30
Author's Comment
Chapter 30 is about ownership — of money, attention, and choices.
Quick question for readers:
Would you take the £10k sponsor deal — or turn it down to stay focused?
Appreciate you all 🙏