The System Makes Me a Player

Kelvin was the first to get up. The sun had barely touched the sky when he got out of bed, yawning, and made his way to the bathroom. He washed his face, brushed his teeth, and took a quick shower to shake off the sleep that still weighed on his shoulders. The cold water helped, but what truly kept him awake was the memory of the previous night — Erick's stare, fixed on him, and the way he just vanished without saying a word. As he stepped out of the bathroom, his teammates were already starting to stir. Some still with their eyes half-closed, others already excited, talking about the final. Kelvin put on his casual white outfit — navy blue shorts, white shirt with the school crest on the chest, and his athletic sneakers — and followed the others to the cafeteria attached to the complex.

The place was simple, with round tables and a counter filled with trays of bread, fruit, juice, and coffee. The players spread out across the tables, some still rubbing their eyes, others attacking the bread as if they hadn't eaten in days.

Kelvin sat next to Felipe and Ian, grabbing a glass of juice and two cheese-stuffed rolls. As he bit into the first one, Rafael walked in, already holding a clipboard.

"Good morning, everyone", his voice cut through the cafeteria's chatter.

"First of all, congrats again on yesterday's match. But today, the focus shifts. The final is at 6 PM, and our opponent will come from the game that's happening right now on the field. As soon as you're done with breakfast, I want everyone at the stadium. We're going to watch the game and analyze both teams. One of them will be our opponent later today"

"Who's playing?" Rodrigo asked, mouth full.

"Alpha High School and Héra School", Rafael replied. "Two strong teams. I want sharp eyes"

Most nodded, and the group began finishing their breakfast more quickly. Kelvin stood up with his friends, placed his empty cup on the tray, and headed toward the cafeteria exit.

But before he could get far, he heard a lazy voice, almost bored.

"Kelvin, right?"

He stopped. He didn't recognize the voice, but the tone was provocative enough to make him turn around. Casually leaning against one of the entrance pillars, hands in the pockets of his black jacket, was Erick. His hair was messy, as if he had just woken up, his gaze half-lidded, uninterested — yet still sharp, like he was analyzing Kelvin's every move.

"Come with me. There's a court nearby", he didn't give time for a response.

Kelvin frowned.

"What's your deal?"

"I wanna see if you're really all that. That's it", Erick shrugged. "Let's do it before I regret wasting my time"

Without waiting, he turned and started walking. Kelvin, curious and slightly suspicious, ended up following him.

They walked through the quiet alleys of the complex until they reached a concrete sports court, surrounded by fencing and partially shaded by trees. It was one of those simple courts, no stands, with a forgotten ball near the sideline.

Erick stepped in first, tapped the ball with his foot, and began bouncing it lazily, like he was there more out of boredom than desire.

"I watched your game yesterday. You scored, right?", he still wasn't looking directly at Kelvin.

"Gotta admit, I expected more. It was... predictable"

Kelvin crossed his arms, holding his posture.

"And who are you to judge?"

Erick gave a half-smile, finally lifting his gaze. That smile oozed arrogance.

"Someone who knows what real talent is"

He gently kicked the ball toward Kelvin.

"One goal. That's it. One-on-one"

Kelvin took a deep breath, tightened his shoelaces, and walked to the center of the court.

"Fine. No excuses later"

"I never need them", Erick replied as he got into position.

The game began with the tension of a duel. Erick played loosely, almost lazily, as if he wasn't taking it seriously. But the moment Kelvin tried his first move, he realized: that guy was a beast. Fast, unpredictable, with insane reflexes. He anticipated every dribble, with an irritating calmness.

"You try hard, huh", Erick taunted after a clean tackle. "But you still play too 'pretty.' That's boring"

Kelvin gritted his teeth. He spun, tried to use his body, then faked a retreat but pulled with his left foot and accelerated. Erick followed. The duel became sharper, faster. Then Kelvin activated his instinct: a precise sequence of short dribbles, an explosive change of direction, and when Erick tried to close the gap, Kelvin saw the opening. With a sharp cut to the right and a quick spin, he escaped Erick's first reach. The ball glued to his foot, breath caught in his chest, eyes fixed on the improvised goal between two stones.

But what happened next was almost surreal.

One moment, Erick seemed far away. The next, he was right there — between him and the goal, body slightly leaning forward, eyes now wide with a wild gleam, yet still carrying that bored look.

"Now we're talking"

In the blink of an eye, he stretched his leg and stole the ball with surgical precision. As if he already knew exactly what Kelvin would do.

Kelvin tried to react, to spin and block the counter, but Erick was already in motion. With two wide touches, he had the field open and, with a crisp strike, sent the ball into the back of the net on the opposite side.

Goal.

Silence.

Kelvin stood in the middle of the court, hands on hips, trying to grasp what had just happened.

Erick smiled — not arrogantly, but provocatively, as if to say: You've got potential… but it's not enough.

He walked over, picked up the ball, spinning it on his fingers.

"You're good, Kelvin. Better than most. But not good enough to beat me"

Kelvin clenched his fists, frustrated. It wasn't just the defeat. It was how completely he had been read, dominated, broken in seconds.

"That was just a casual match", he tried to suppress the anger.

"Exactly. Now imagine when there's a title on the line", Erick replied, walking toward the exit. "See you at the final"

Kelvin watched him disappear down the street, steps slow and relaxed, as if nothing had happened. But deep down, he knew: that guy was different. Not just strong — he was like a beast that only awakened when someone truly worthy stood before him.

Kelvin was still standing when the System in his mind lit up faintly.

[Active Analysis: Jersey 10 – Héra Player]

[Skill Level: Absolute Elite – National Student Category]

[Highlighted Skill: Unpredictability / Lethal Offensive Instinct]

[Name: Erick Moreira]

[Status: Awakened – Beyond Standard Level]