The analysis room was colder than the pitch.
Not because of the temperature—but because of the silence.
Rows of seats faced a massive screen, its surface dark for now.
Noah sat in the middle, Marcus to his left, Ethan to his right.
Damien chose a seat alone, arms crossed, eyes fixed forward as if daring the room to challenge him.
Coach Harrison didn't speak immediately.
He waited.
Waited until the restless shifting stopped. Until every boy realized that whatever was about to be said mattered.
"This room," Coach Harrison finally said, "is where football stops being a game."
He pressed a button.
The screen came alive
.
Clips began to play—youth matches, professional games, international finals. Players moved faster than anything Noah remembered from his past life. Their passes cut through defenses like knives. Their presence alone seemed to suffocate opponents.
"This world," Coach Harrison continued, "is not the football you see on television."
Noah felt his spine straighten.
"You already know this," the coach said.
"You've felt it. Matches that move too fast.
Players who feel… wrong."
The screen paused on a single image: a midfielder standing at the center of the pitch, surrounded by opponents who looked hesitant—afraid.
"This," Coach Harrison said, "is dominance."
He turned to face them.
"And dominance has rules."
The Football World
"In this era," Coach Harrison said, "football has surpassed what it once was. Not because of tactics. Not because of money."
He tapped the screen.
"But because players themselves evolved."
Noah's heartbeat slowed as he listened.
"Strength, speed, endurance—those matter," Coach Harrison said. "But here, they are foundations. Not ceilings."
He walked slowly between the rows.
"Techniques exist. Real ones. Movements that defy expectation. Shots that bend logic. Dribbles that feel impossible."
Marcus raised a hand hesitantly. "Like… special moves?"
Coach Harrison allowed himself a small smile.
"If it helps you understand—yes. But creating one takes years. Sometimes decades. Most players never manage it."
Noah clenched his fist unconsciously.
Except me… later.
Flow Frame
The screen shifted.
A player sprinted past defenders effortlessly, every touch perfect, every decision instant.
"This state," Coach Harrison said, "is called Flow Frame."
The room stirred.
"Flow Frame is not power," he continued. "It is alignment."
He pointed to the screen as the player dodged a tackle without even looking.
"When body, mind, and instinct move as one… when hesitation disappears… you enter Flow Frame."
Ethan spoke quietly. "Is it permanent?"
Coach Harrison shook his head.
"No. It is fleeting. Seconds. Sometimes minutes. It drains you."
He paused.
"Most players experience it once or twice in their entire careers."
Noah swallowed.
I touched the edge of it…
Coach Harrison's gaze flicked toward him briefly—just a fraction too long.
Crown State
The screen changed again.
The footage felt different.
The player didn't rush.
Didn't force anything.
Yet the entire match revolved around him.
Defenders backed away. Teammates moved instinctively, as if guided.
"This," Coach Harrison said quietly, "is the Crown State."
The room fell completely silent.
"The Crown State is beyond Flow Frame," he continued. "It is not just performance. It is presence."
He folded his arms.
"When a player enters the Crown, they don't just play the game."
"They rule it."
Noah felt a chill crawl up his spine.
"Opponents feel pressure before contact,"
Coach Harrison said. "Mistakes increase. Confidence collapses. The field belongs to one king."
Marcus whispered, "That's… insane."
Coach Harrison nodded. "It is. And it is real."
The Myth Beyond
The screen went dark.
Coach Harrison didn't replace it immediately.
"There are rumors," he said slowly.
"Legends passed between coaches. Stories with no proof."
Noah leaned forward.
"They speak of a state beyond the Crown,"
Coach Harrison continued.
"A condition where the game itself bends completely to one will."
Damien scoffed. "Fairy tales."
Coach Harrison met his gaze calmly.
"Perhaps," he said. "Or perhaps no one has survived long enough to confirm it."
The room felt heavier.
"That state," Coach Harrison said, "has no name."
Not yet.
Ego Players
The screen returned—this time showing aggressive, dominant players forcing their way through matches.
"Now," Coach Harrison said, "let's talk about Ego Players."
Damien straightened slightly.
"Ego players believe in themselves absolutely," Coach Harrison said.
"They demand the ball.
They impose their style. They thrive on confidence."
The screen showed a striker blasting shots relentlessly.
"They are powerful," Coach Harrison continued.
"Explosive.
Fearless."
He paused.
"But predictable."
Damien's jaw tightened.
"Ego blinds," Coach Harrison said.
"When confidence becomes obsession, growth slows."
Noah glanced at Damien.
Not yet, he thought.
But close.
Prodigies And Geniuses
The footage shifted again.
Players who didn't look overwhelming—but controlled everything.
"These," Coach Harrison said, "are Prodigies.
Some call them Geniuses."
Ethan's eyes gleamed.
"They understand football instinctively," Coach Harrison said. "Patterns, timing, space—they see it without being taught."
He pointed to a clip where a midfielder dismantled a defense with two touches.
"They adapt. They evolve. And given enough time… they create techniques."
Noah's heart pounded.
That's me, he realized.
Or rather—
That's who I'm becoming.
Where Do You Stand?
Coach Harrison turned off the screen completely.
He faced them.
"Most players fall into one category," he said. "Ego or Prodigy."
His gaze swept the room.
"A few… do not."
The silence stretched.
"You are young," Coach Harrison continued.
"Your limits are unknown. Your paths unwritten."
He looked directly at Noah now.
"Some of you feel the game before it happens."
Noah met his eyes steadily.
Coach Harrison nodded once.
"That is dangerous," he said. "And priceless."
After the Lesson
They exited the room quietly.
No one joked.
No one laughed.
The world had changed shape.
Marcus finally exhaled. "So basically… football is insane."
Liam, who had snuck in somehow, grinned.
"I knew it."
Damien stopped beside Noah as they walked.
"You're not an Ego player," Damien said.
Noah tilted his head.
"Neither are you."
Damien smiled thinly.
"Good.
Then we'll see who reaches the Crown first."
Noah watched him walk away.
The Crown…
That night, the system spoke.
SYSTEM NOTICE:
World Knowledge Integrated
Flow Frame Compatibility: Rising
Crown State Awareness: Unlocked
Hidden Status:
Unclassified Player — Monitoring
Noah lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling.
This world wasn't fair.
It wasn't kind.
But it was vast.
And somewhere beyond Flow…
Beyond the Crown…
Something waited.
Noah Ravenscroft smiled faintly.
I'll reach it.
No matter how long it takes.