The dawn air bit at Leon's skin as he sprinted across the academy's auxiliary pitch, the only sound his cleats carving into dew-soaked turf. The PlaySight system hummed faintly behind his eyes, a cool pulse of data mapping each step. His goal was clear: push his Speed and Stamina closer to Momentum Burst's unlock, the next step in proving he wasn't just Zane's echo. The minimap flickered in his peripheral vision, a 30-meter radius of green and red dots, sluggish but steady.
Player: Leon Vale
Level: 3
EXP: 0 / 300
Agile Step Lv. 1 – 21%
Stats: Dribbling 50, Passing 57, Shooting 42, Vision 17, Mental 45, Speed 52, Stamina 51
ZANE-003 Echo: Passive | Sync Drift 6%
"Faster," Leon muttered, weaving through cones he'd set up at precise angles. Agile Step kicked in, a subtle rhythm guiding his cuts, left, right, pivot. His balance was sharper now, the system's green outlines suggesting foot placement he didn't always need. He wanted to own the movement, not borrow it.
A shadow loomed at the field's edge. Kael Rivas, arms crossed, stood like a sentinel, his smirk sharp enough to cut. "Training alone again, Vale? What's the trick this time? Magic boots?"
Leon slowed, chest heaving, wiping sweat from his brow. "No trick. Just work."
Kael stepped onto the grass, his presence heavy, like a storm waiting to break. "Work doesn't make you see passes before they happen. I don't get second chances like you do" (indicating Kael knows something that Leon has but he is not sure about it). His voice carried an edge, not just mockery, but something raw, like a wound he hadn't meant to show. "Spill it. What's your edge?"
Leon's jaw tightened. Kael's words hinted at a weight beyond their rivalry, a pressure Leon hadn't yet grasped. "Maybe you're just slow to catch up," he shot back, activating Agile Step. He burst past Kael, weaving through the cones with a precision that felt like defiance. The system pulsed, green lines flaring as he nailed each turn.
Kael laughed, cold and sharp. "Keep playing your games, Vale. They won't last." He turned and jogged off, but his words lingered, heavy with something unspoken.
+10 EXP (Skill-Based Evasion)
+1 Speed
EXP: 10 / 300
Agile Step Lv. 1 – 25%
Leon caught his breath, hands on his knees, when another figure appeared at the sidelines. Aria Laurent, dark hair tied back, held a tablet, her eyes locked on him with that unnerving focus. She approached, her steps deliberate, turf crunching under her sneakers.
"You're pushing hard," she said, voice low but direct. "But you're leaning on that system too much. Like Zane did."
Leon straightened, pulse quickening. Aria's knack for cutting through his defenses was unsettling. "You keep mentioning him. What do you know?"
Her gaze was steady, unyielding. "Enough to know it broke him. Data overload, mental collapse. I've seen your metrics, Leon, your reaction times, your positioning. They're spiking too fast, just like his did. Train without it, or you'll lose yourself."
The words hit like a tackle. Leon thought back to the day, when he'd realized Zane's echoes were feeding him plays. Aria was right, he was still a passenger, not the driver. But her warning felt like more than data. It felt personal.
"Why do you care?" he asked, softer than he meant.
Aria tilted her head, a faint smile flickering. "Because I've seen what happens when players think they're invincible. Zane wasn't the only one." She paused, then added, "You're not like Kael. You can still choose your path."
Leon nodded slowly, her words sinking in. Aria saw through the system, through him. Maybe she was the edge he needed to avoid Zane's fate, not just a data-track student, but someone who could keep him grounded.
Before he could respond, Coach Davor's whistle cut across the main pitch. "Vale! Rivas! Drills, now!"
The team session was brutal, full-pressure passing triangles, no room for error. Leon was paired with Theo and a junior, but Kael's presence loomed across the field, captaining the opposing squad. The minimap blinked every few seconds, red dots flaring as Kael's team pressed hard.
Leon received a pass from Theo, two defenders closing fast. Agile Step pulsed, guiding his pivot as he tapped the ball through a gap, narrowly dodging a tackle. The system's green lines suggested a pass to Theo, but Leon hesitated, remembering Aria's warning. He glanced up, saw the lane himself, and fired the ball across.
Theo trapped it, nodded, and sent it back. "Nice one, Vale."
Kael, watching from midfield, narrowed his eyes. Leon could feel the weight of his stare, like a challenge waiting to ignite.
The drill shifted to one-on-one duels. Coach Davor pointed at Leon and Kael. "You two. Center circle. Go."
Leon's heart thudded. Kael moved like a predator, ball glued to his foot, faking left then cutting right. Leon matched him, Agile Step flaring as he anticipated the move, not from the system, but from watching Kael's hips. He slid in, stealing the ball clean.
The team hooted. Kael's smirk faltered, replaced by something harder. "Lucky," he muttered, but his voice cracked, betraying a flicker of strain.
+8 EXP (Defensive Read)
+1 Mental
Leon jogged back, catching Aria's eye from the sidelines. She didn't smile, but her nod was enough. She saw it, his choice to trust himself over the system.
That night, Leon sat in his dorm, the PlaySight interface glowing faint blue. He opened the ZANE-003 file, the sync drift now at 7%. Aria's warning echoed: Train without it, or you'll lose yourself. He hesitated, then closed the predictive overlay, leaving only the minimap active. If he was going to outgrow Zane's shadow, he needed to start now.
Kael's words lingered too, "I don't get second chances." There was a story there, something deeper than ego. Leon didn't know it yet, but he could feel it: Kael wasn't just fighting him. He was fighting something bigger, something that had broken him long before Leon arrived.
The regional tournament loomed, and with it, a chance to prove himself, not just to Kael, but to Aria, to Coach Davor, to himself. Aria was right. He could choose his path. And he wasn't going to let the system choose it for him.
HUD Log
Leon Vale – Level 3
EXP: 18 / 300
Stats:
Dribbling: 50 Passing: 57 Shooting: 42 Vision: 17 Mental: 46 (+1) Speed: 53 (+1) Stamina: 51
Agile Step Lv. 1 – 25%
ZANE-003 Sync Drift: 7%