The rain had cleared by the next morning, but the humidity clung to the ground like a second skin. Thiago stood outside the training building, shirt already damp, watching fog hover low over the turf.
His muscles ached. Not the sharp kind, but the deep, heavy pull of overuse. The kind of pain that meant something. The kind you earned.
But his mind—it wasn't quiet.
Because things were shifting.
And not just in him.
Inside the academy staff room, behind a door Thiago had never seen the inside of, Coach Moreira stood with arms crossed, watching a slow-motion replay of yesterday's scrimmage.
The screen showed Thiago weaving through the midfield before threading a clean ball into the box.
Next to him, Coach Silveira stood sipping black coffee from a paper cup.
"You see it now?" Silveira said.
Moreira didn't reply.
"He's adapted," Silveira added. "But not at the cost of instinct. You've trained him well. Now let him move."
Moreira exhaled slowly.
"He's positionally sound. Reads pressure better than most. But that kind of flair… you let it loose at the wrong time and it burns a hole in your shape."
"Or it burns through the ceiling," Silveira said. "Let him play on the wing. Just once."
Moreira rewound the clip again.
And said nothing.
Thiago didn't know about that conversation.
All he knew was that morning, Moreira was watching him differently.
He didn't shout as much. Didn't correct every mistake. He let Thiago make choices—and Thiago played clean. Efficient. Like a player who belonged.
But every now and then, when Thiago touched the ball and carried it just a little too far forward, Moreira's pen hovered over his notepad for just a second longer.
At midday, the System stirred in Thiago's mind.
System Alert:New Personal Goal Detected – Custom Goal CreatedTitle: Shape Your PathObjective: Choose a Primary RoleOptions:[1] Fullback – Balanced Growth Track[2] Winger – Creative Growth Track[3] Hybrid – Slower Growth, Unlocks Mixed Skill TreeDeadline: 1 MonthReward: Adaptive Skill TreePenalty: Reduced EXP Gain in Non-Selected Role after Deadline
He stood under the shade of the stairwell after lunch, staring at the prompt in his mind like it was a locked door waiting for a key.
Three paths. One future.
Pick wrong, and it could slow everything.
Pick right… and it might take longer to convince everyone else to see it.
He didn't pick. Not yet.
That evening, Thiago sat alone by the vending machines in the courtyard. The campus was quieter than usual. Players were either inside doing recovery or in study hall.
He leaned back, staring up at the soft glow of the overhead lights.
Then a voice cut in.
"You always get this serious when there's no ball involved?"
Thiago blinked—and turned fast.
Caio stood at the gate, holding a duffel bag and flashing a visitor badge.
"What the hell? How—?"
"Cousin works reception," Caio said, grinning. "Said I had thirty minutes. Figured I'd spend them reminding you you're not alone in here."
Thiago stood and hugged him. Quick, hard, like he'd been holding the urge back for weeks.
"You look different," Caio said. "Bigger. Sharper."
"Feel like a machine."
"That good or bad?"
Thiago shrugged. "Both."
They sat by the pitch, legs hanging off the ledge, staring out at the perfect blades of trimmed grass.
"They've been playing me at fullback," Thiago said.
"I heard," Caio replied. "Word travels."
"I've gotten used to it. Learned a lot. But it still doesn't feel right. Like… it fits. But it doesn't belong."
Caio nodded. "You've always hated being boxed in."
Thiago ran a hand through his hair.
"They've started talking about pushing me forward. Not officially. But I can feel it."
"Then make it happen."
"It's not that simple."
"It never is," Caio said. "But when you move, people follow. You don't have to ask."
Thiago looked over.
"You really came just to say that?"
"Also brought you some guaraná and homemade pão de queijo."
"God bless you."
They bumped fists.
That night, alone in his bunk, Thiago closed his eyes.
The System prompt still hovered quietly at the edge of his thoughts.
He made the choice without hesitation this time.
"Select Option 3. Hybrid Path."
System AcknowledgedGrowth Path: Hybrid RoleEXP requirements increased by 25%Unlock condition: Adaptive Skill TreeInitial Bonus: Passive Unlocked – Balanced Vision I+3% efficiency bonus to perception-based actions in both attacking and defending rolesCustom Quest Unlocked: Show Both SidesObjective: Deliver 1 Goal Contribution and 1 Defensive Clearance in the Same MatchReward: +1 Vision, +1 Composure, Adaptive Skill Slot UnlockedDeadline: 2 Matches
Thiago smiled to himself in the dark.
He could hear Caio's voice in his head.
You don't have to rush. You just have to make sure you're still the one making the call.
The next morning, the news came quietly.
Thiago was assigned to train with the U17 squad.
As a winger.
No announcement. No fanfare. Just a printed list on the board outside the locker room.
He stared at his name for a full minute before stepping inside.
He didn't celebrate. Didn't smile.
Just laced his boots tight.
And stretched longer than usual.
The training match was fierce.
U17s moved faster. Spoke less. Defended with more hate in their steps. You could feel the pressure in every pass—nobody here was playing for points. They were playing for future contracts.
Thiago started the second half.
Wearing number 19.
When the whistle blew, he sprinted into space like it had never been taken from him.
The first time he touched the ball, he didn't even think.
He let it run past him, flicked it back with his heel, and spun to protect it as the right-back lunged.
Sharp. Controlled.
The ball rolled loose, but he followed up with a clean recovery and laid it off to the midfielder.
Easy touch.
No mistake.
Fifteen minutes later, he got his chance.
The ball came wide. He controlled it on the bounce, killed it with the inside of his foot, and cut in.
One defender tracked. Then another stepped in to press.
He slowed down. Let them both commit. Waited for the breath between steps—then snapped the ball left, dragging it through the gap like water slipping between fingers.
Space.
He sprinted down the edge of the box and sent a hard, low cross to the striker near the six-yard line.
Tap in.
Assist.
The team barely cheered—but they nodded.
They saw it.
Back on defense ten minutes later, the U17 opponents pressed with a corner.
The ball floated, high and slow, curling in from the right side.
Thiago tracked the arc, stepped ahead of the mark, and leapt.
Cleared.
Clean.
System Notification:Quest Complete – Show Both Sides+1 Vision+1 ComposureEXP Gained: +12New Stat Unlocked – Awareness: 49Adaptive Skill Tree Slot Unlocked
As he jogged back into position, catching his breath, he felt it.
Not adrenaline.
Not exhaustion.
Control.
Not just over the game.
Over himself