NOVEL NEXT Chapter 45: A Seat in the Shadows
Opening Scene – Barclays Center, 2019 NBA Draft Night
Flashbulbs popped like gunfire.
The crowd at Barclays Center roared as the commissioner stepped up to the mic.
"With the first pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, the New Orleans Pelicans select…
Zion Williamson from Duke University."
The crowd exploded.
Zion, broad and beaming, hugged his mom and slipped on his Pelicans cap.
Kyle Wilson sat three rows back in the VIP section, hoodie low over his eyes, crutch resting beside him.
He clapped. Quietly.
Then looked down at his phone.
"Next year. That's you."
The text was from Ari.
She wasn't with him tonight—she was on a networking trip in L.A.
Kyle watched as Zion shook Adam Silver's hand, cameras flashing from every angle.
He leaned over to Marcus, seated beside him.
"That should've been me."
Marcus didn't sugarcoat it.
"Only if you were ready."
Ja Morant's Name is Called"With the second pick, the Memphis Grizzlies select…
Ja Morant from Murray State."
Kyle nodded.
"He's a killer."
"So are you," Marcus said. "You just haven't bled yet on the biggest stage."
Time Skip Begins – 10 Months EarlierAugust 2019.
Kyle undergoes the last of his rehab sessions.
No cameras.
No highlights.
No mixtapes.
Just slow, agonizing work:
Water resistance drills.
Isolated quad presses.
Explosive treadmill runs under zero-gravity.
His leg screamed.
But his heart got quieter.
He started journaling again.
"Patience isn't passive. It's preparation in disguise."
He grew taller—6'9" now.
Lean but built.
Wiser.
And quieter.
Reclassification – The Hidden SeasonKyle made the move official.
Redshirt freshman. Reclassified to 2020 draft class.
Most casual fans forgot him.
ESPN dropped him from the Top 100.
Scouts whispered: "Is he still playing?"
Kyle didn't answer.
He built.
Ari, meanwhile, ran Kyonic like a CEO.
She landed a licensing deal with a small overseas distributor in Europe.
High schoolers started wearing "Reaper Grip" socks.
TikTokers danced in Kyonic slides.
She handled every email.
Every deal.
Every snake trying to profit from Kyle's silence.
Private Run – Against ProsIn October 2019, Kyle got invited to a closed-door scrimmage in Atlanta.
Pros.
Overseas dogs.
Hungry unsigneds.
He played the 3 and the 4.
Locked up on switches.
Hit corner threes.
Ran the floor like a deer.
One veteran—an 8-year Euroleague scorer—walked up after.
"What team you with, kid?"
"Miami."
"College?"
"For now."
"Nah, bro. You a pro already."
Midnight Calls – Ari & KylePhone calls replaced dates.
Ari, now in L.A., working part-time for a real sports agency.
Kyle, in Miami, finishing his redshirt year, attending team meetings, but never suiting up.
"You ever regret not taking Nike?" she asked.
"Sometimes. But then I see the Kyonic orders flood in and think… nah."
"They're asking when the 'Reaper IIs' drop."
"Tell them when I return."
Silence.
"You miss me?" she whispered.
"Like I miss the rim when I sleep."
"That's corny."
"You love it."
The World Moves On – But Kyle WatchesAs Zion debuted in the league with monstrous dunks, Kyle studied every move.
As Ja Morant floated in mid-air and made Memphis believe again, Kyle scribbled notes on pacing, poise, and pick-and-roll reads.
"They good," he told Marcus.
"But are they better?"
Kyle thought about that.
"We'll find out next year."
Late Winter – The Breakout Game (Behind Closed Doors)In February 2020, Miami held a closed scrimmage—invite-only scouts.
Kyle laced up for the first time in a year.
Reaper IIs on his feet.
No cameras.
Just hardwood and breath.
He finished with:
21 points
9 rebounds
4 blocks
2 steals
And no limp.
One scout texted another mid-game:
"The Reaper is back."
Final Scene – Kyle's DeclarationMarch 1st, 2020.
Kyle Wilson sits in a clean studio, behind a mic. Ari by his side. Marcus in the back.
He clicks "record" for his live stream.
"A year ago, I thought my story was done. I watched my body fail. Watched friends get drafted. Watched dreams drift away."
"But I didn't disappear. I rebuilt. Quietly. Fully. And now…"
He looks directly into the lens.
"I'm declaring for the 2020 NBA Draft. Not as a comeback story. But as a storm long overdue."
"You forgot my name. That's fine. I'll make sure you never forget it again."
Fade to black.