Darkness.
Not the peaceful kind — but suffocating, heavy, like an ocean pressing against his lungs. Alex felt himself sinking deeper into it, unable to move, unable to breathe, unable to think.
Voices echoed through the void.
"ALEX!"
"Get the medics now!"
"Somebody stop the bleeding—"
"No, no, no, Alex please wake up—PLEASE!"
Lena's voice cracked with agony.
Lyra's tiny scream cut through everything.
Moira cursed and cried at the same time.
Damian shouted orders with a voice that shook.
But Alex couldn't reach them.
He was trapped somewhere between existence and nothingness.
Then
A ding.
Clear. Metallic. Sharp.
It vibrated through the darkness like a blade slicing the void.
Another ding.
Then text flashed in front of him — pale blue, floating in darkness.
◆ SYSTEM INSTALLATION COMPLETE.
◆ HOST CONDITION: CRITICAL.
◆ LIFE-FUNCTIONS COMPROMISED.
◆ BEGIN EMERGENCY PROTOCOL?
Alex tried to speak.
Nothing came.
The text shimmered.
◆ WARNING: HOST IS EXPERIENCING
ligament tearing
severe inflammation
nerve shock
temporary loss of motor function
emotional overload
psychological rupture
◆ RECOMMENDATION: ACTIVATE "SURVIVAL MODE"?
A faint heartbeat echoed in the dark.
Ba-dum.
Ba-dum.
Slow. Weak.
Alex forced the words out inside his mind:
"Yes…"
The void trembled.
◆ SURVIVAL MODE ACTIVATED.
◆ SYNCHRONIZING WITH HOST NEURAL SYSTEM…
12% 29% 15% 78% 100%
A cold energy rushed into his spine like liquid electricity.
His chest jolted.
His breath returned in a violent gasp.
And with it
The world exploded back.
He wasn't awake physically.
Not yet.
But he saw everything.
The stadium in chaos.
Medics screaming for a stretcher.
Coach Reyes holding his head steady.
Moira pushing security away, mascara running.
Lyra shaking violently in Damian's arms as she cried, "Fix him! FIX HIM!"
Lena kneeling beside his body, hands trembling and drenched in sweat and grass.
"Alex," she whispered, voice shattered. "Please don't die. I'm sorry. I didn't mean any of it. Just… stay… please…"
Her tears fell on his cheek.
He felt them in the void.
But Jackson
Jackson stood yards away with fake worry on his face and poison in his eyes.
The System flickered again.
◆ NEW OBJECTIVE: SURVIVE.
◆ SUB-OBJECTIVE: RETRIBUTION.
◆ EMOTIONAL STATE: RAGE SUPPRESSED.
◆ PHYSICAL STATE: UNSTABLE.
◆ BRAIN ACTIVITY: AWAKENING.
Alex felt something burning inside him.
A seed.
A flame.
A hunger.
Not for revenge
for domination.
Sirens. Lights. Screams.
He was lifted onto the stretcher.
Moira grabbed his hand. "Lexy don't you dare leave me—don't you f***ing dare!"
Lyra sobbed so hard she almost couldn't breathe.
Damian lifted her onto his hip, voice tight and cracking for the first time in his life.
"Stay with us, Alex. Don't close your eyes."
But Alex was already slipping again.
The world blurred—
And the void swallowed him once more.
Darkness again.
But this time, he didn't fall.
He stood.
His legs worked.
His breathing was steady.
He felt… whole.
A glowing blue stadium appeared around him — artificial, digital, too perfect to be real.
◆ WELCOME TO THE TRAINING CORE.
Alex spun around, confused.
"Where am I?"
◆ INSIDE YOURSELF.
◆ IN CONFIGURATION MODE.
"What is this?"
◆ FOOTBALL SYSTEM 1.0
◆ VERSION: EXPERIMENTAL
◆ ARCHITECT: UNKNOWN
◆ STATUS: BOUND TO YOU
He stared.
This couldn't be real.
◆ HOST POTENTIAL:
Vision: 84
Speed: 72
Dribbling: 65
Agility: 79
Strength: 71
Tactical IQ: 89
Mental Resilience: 41 → DECREASING
Emotional Stability: 22 → CRITICAL
His heart tightened.
"What's happening to me?"
◆ YOUR BODY IS FAILING.
◆ YOUR MIND IS BREAKING.
◆ IF YOU DO NOT STABILIZE, YOU WILL NEVER PLAY FOOTBALL AGAIN.
The words hit like bullets.
"Fix it," Alex whispered. "Please. Fix me."
◆ REPAIR IS POSSIBLE.
◆ BUT PAINFUL.
◆ AND DANGEROUS.
◆ AND YOU MUST CHOOSE IT YOURSELF.
Alex swallowed.
"I choose it."
The System glowed.
◆ EMERGENCY PHYSICAL RECONSTRUCTION INITIATED.
◆ PAIN WARNING: MAXIMUM.
A sudden flare of agony tore through his leg — like knives carving into bone. Alex screamed, collapsing to his knees.
◆ DO NOT STOP.
◆ ENDURE.
He pressed his forehead into the artificial turf, teeth grinding.
"AHHHHHH—!"
The pain grew sharper, hotter.
His bones cracked.
His ligaments snapped and reattached.
Nerves fired like lightning.
Sweat dripped onto the ground.
The System remained cold.
◆ PROGRESS: 21%
◆ 34%
◆ 57%
His vision blurred.
◆ WARNING: HOST LOSING CONSCIOUSNESS.
Alex forced himself to crawl.
"Not… giving up… not now…"
◆ 74%
◆ 89%
◆ 100%
Silence.
Then
A golden shockwave blasted outward.
Alex stood slowly.
Pain gone.
Balance restored.
Mind terrifyingly clear.
He lifted his foot experimentally.
The strength.
The stability.
The precision.
He felt reborn.
◆ RECONSTRUCTION COMPLETE.
◆ HOST IS NO LONGER BROKEN.
◆ HOST HAS AWAKENED.
Alex inhaled.
And for the first time…
he smiled.
A dark, powerful smile.
"Jackson," he whispered.
◆ NEW QUEST UNLOCKED:
DOMINATE THE FIELD. DESTROY THE RIVAL. CLAIM THE FUTURE.
When Alex's eyes snapped open in the hospital room, monitors screamed.
Lena gasped.
Lyra screamed his name.
Moira's livestream nearly fell from her hands.
Damian froze.
Alex sat up
Calm.
Focused.
Awake.
He looked at all of them.
Then he spoke, voice deeper, steadier, colder.
"Where is Jackson?"
Everyone went silent.
Lena's lips trembled. "Alex… you're hurt, please—"
"I asked," he repeated, "where the hell is Jackson?"
His heart monitor spiked — not from fear.
From purpose.
From hunger.
From awakening.
And the System pulsed behind his eyes.
◆ QUEST STARTED.