Madrid, Spain – Late April 2015
Eli Mercer stood at the free throw line.
Eyes calm.
Breath steady.
He didn't bounce the ball.
Didn't look at the rim.
Just inhaled.
Held.
Exhaled.
Release.
Swish.
First Quarter – Madrid vs. Vienna Juniors
Eli touched the ball six times.
Passed four.
Shot twice.
Both went in.
No reaction.
No celebration.
Luis nodded once.
Coach Ortega clapped once.
No one tracked the streak.
Second Quarter – Rhythm Deepens
Eli began syncing every possession:
Catch → inhale
Scan → hold
Move → exhale
Release → silence
He didn't miss.
But no one noticed.
Halftime – Locker Room
Luis leaned over.
"You're clean."
Eli nodded.
"Breath's aligned."
No one asked what that meant.
No one needed to.
Third Quarter – Defensive Flow
Eli intercepted two passes.
Tapped one loose.
Recovered without diving.
Spacing stayed perfect.
Timing stayed invisible.
No one tracked the impact.
No one suspected.
Fourth Quarter – Final Possession
Tie game.
Clock low.
Eli caught the ball.
Held.
Waited.
Defender leaned.
Crowd murmured.
Eli stepped back.
Corner fadeaway.
Release.
Swish.
No celebration.
Just breath.
Post-Game – Locker Room
Coach Ortega smiled.
"No turnovers. No misses."
Luis nodded.
"He's calibrated."
No one asked how.
No one tracked the streak.
No one saw the B-Side.
Private Gym – Midnight Circuit
Eli logged the game.
Breath delay: perfect
Possession rhythm: synced
Team flow: stable
Cultivation: invisible
No-Miss Protocol: complete
Eli Mercer's Private Post-Game Log
Team Score
Madrid Juniors vs. Vienna Juniors
Final Score: Madrid 72 – 70 Vienna
Result: Win
Eli's Private Stats (never shared)
Points: 22
Assists: 5
Rebounds: 3
Steals: 2
Turnovers: 0
Shooting: 9/9 FG, 4/4 FT
Delay Sync: ✓
Cultivation Tier: Stable
B-Side Activation: Logged