C1: {Real Madrid are caught in a deadlock against Benfica. It is now anyone's game as Jude Bellingham rushes through the midfield with the ball.}
C2: {I truly believe Real can turn this opportunity into a goal. After all, if they can't win this, they won't advance to the Champions League knockout stage.}
C1: {And Jude rushes forward with the ball. It seems he has noticed a space, and he sends a straight pass up to Mbappé…!}
C1: {And he makes a simple cut to the left.}
The entire stadium went still, and so did the commentators. Every single Real Madrid fan was on the edge of their seat, including Naza, a young man from Africa who, after securing a spot in a Google security analyst crew, had finally earned enough money to watch a live match.
C1: {He shoots!... Mbappé!!!!!!!!!!}
Naza, who sat among the Real Madrid supporters, jumped off his seat and yelled as Mbappé scored a banger against Benfica.
The moment he rushed forward to celebrate, the whistle blew, drawing the match to a close. Cheers erupted around him. Although he wasn't the most social person, he found himself caught up in the noise, screaming along with everyone else.
The eleven players, after running around in victory, came in front of their fans and offered a bow.
Naza's face flushed as tears rolled down his cheeks.
"Are you happy now?"
Turning to his side, Naza locked eyes with the beautiful light-skinned woman whose hand he held. She had long blonde hair tied in a ponytail and light blue eyes.
He offered a wide smile. "Yeah."
The young woman, Vanessa, smiled too. After a beat, her smile vanished as she frowned. "Then can we start going home? You know I'm not a crowd person."
He nodded, and both of them left the stadium. He did not leave without offering one final glance at the greatest stadium in his book, Santiago Bernabéu.
Perhaps in another life he would be the one on the pitch, the air against his skin, the crowd cheering for him.
"That would be great," he muttered under his breath, leading his girlfriend into a Porsche parked neatly in the parking lot.
When they entered, Vanessa pulled him in for a kiss. "Can we go home? I'm hungry for you-know-what."
Naza smirked and started the car without a word. Vanessa was the daughter of one of their company managers. They had started dating after an incident at a party and had been together for three years.
"I heard you guys are working on a new project with FIFA?"
Vanessa, who was now on her phone, raised her gaze toward him, her brows lifting. "Oh, that? I was planning on telling you once we got back since I wanted you to beta test it."
Naza's eyes lit up at the word "beta" test. This game was said to become the next big thing in esports. He nodded quickly as they reached the hotel where they would stay for the night.
Once they were lodged and had a long, spicy sleep, Vanessa turned on the console for the new version before dozing off.
Naza sat in front of the television like a little child. It reminded him of the first time he watched a football match: the lights, the commentators' voices, the faint roar of the crowd.
Back then it hadn't taken him long to fall in love with the sport. Because of several reasons, he couldn't pursue such a career. That, to this day, remained one of his biggest regrets.
This was why he loved playing football games. It was the closest thing he had to the real experience.
The game soon loaded. After hours of playing, he understood why they called it unique.
Unlike normal football games where you play as current stars like Ronaldo, Messi, or Mbappé, in this one you created a character, your avatar, and tried to unlock what was called an "ego."
These egos were like special abilities players could use. Without them, you couldn't become a footballer.
After playing for hours and learning everything about it, Naza suddenly began to feel dizzy.
At first he brushed it off, thinking it was due to exhaustion or lack of sleep. When he wiped his nose, he saw blood on his hand.
'Huh?'
Naza quickly tried to turn off the console and stand, only for his vision to blur further and his legs to give way.
Bam!
With a loud crack, he landed headfirst on the floor. He could already hear his girlfriend screaming in panic, yet he couldn't move or do anything.
Blood filled his vision, and before long his consciousness faded. However, when it did, he was not greeted by heaven, hell, or an expanse of darkness. Instead, there was another blurry scene and the sound of snickers.
"Oh my God, I can't believe this ego-less bastard dared step onto this pitch even after what the coach told him!"
"Hahaha, maybe he actually believes hard work can cut it?!"
Naza blinked. The moment he did, his vision cleared. The scene in front of him was completely unfamiliar.
He had been in his room a moment ago, so how did he get here?
The place he was in now was a football field. Judging by the size, it belonged to a youth team, and not a very big one.
What shocked Naza the most was the word they had said.
"Ego."
He raised his gaze and stared intently at the blonde European boy in front of him, making the boy flinch. "Did you just say ego?"
The boy raised a brow, clearly perplexed. "Yes. Why?"
"Then…" He grabbed the boy by the shoulders, eyes sparkling like stars. "Which one do you have? Which one do I have? And who am I exactly?!"