While Ethan was locked out of his own virtual paradise, Leo was thriving in his. He lay in his pod, the world of Orion FC materializing around him.
He appeared in his manager’s office—a sleek, minimalist space decorated in his club’s black and gold colors.
But there was one, glaring, infuriating detail that ruined the entire aesthetic.
His avatar, his cool, idealized self, was wearing a bright, royal blue Apex United tracksuit.
"I hate this thing," he muttered, tugging at the sleeve of the tracksuit.
It felt like wearing the enemy’s flag.
The 30-day penalty for losing the derby was a constant, humiliating reminder of Matias Gallardo’s tragicomic own goal. ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ novelꜰire.net
He pushed the thought aside and focused on the main screen.
The League Two table was displayed in all its glory.
And sitting proudly at the very top, with a perfect record of five wins from five games, was Orion FC.
A wide, satisfied grin spread across his face. His fortress was impregnable.
They had only scored six goals, but more importantly, they had conceded zero.
Matias Gallardo had been a colossus, a one-man defensive system who was already being hailed by the virtual press as the "Rock of League Two."
"Right," Leo said to the empty room.
He called a team meeting.
His players, decked out in their black and gold training gear, filed into the virtual briefing room.
The atmosphere was calm, professional, and confident. They were a team that knew how good they were.
"Morning, lads," Leo began, trying to project an air of authority despite the ridiculous blue tracksuit. "Another big game tomorrow. Top of the table, and that’s where we’re going to stay. I want to talk about how we’re going to do it."
He brought up the tactical display.
"We’re facing Newport County. They play a direct, physical game. They’re going to launch long balls at our defense all day."
A low chuckle came from the back of the room.
It was Matias Gallardo. "Let them," the young Argentinian said, his voice quiet but filled with an unshakeable confidence.
"They will get nothing."
The other players grinned. Their faith in their star defender was absolute.
"I know they won’t," Leo said with a nod to his S-Rank prodigy. "But I don’t want us just to be a defensive wall. I want us to be a coiled spring. We’ve been working on it all week in training. The second we win the ball back, I don’t want to see a safe pass. I want to see a forward pass. I want our transitions to be lightning-fast. We soak up their pressure, and then we punch them right on the nose."
He saw the players nodding, a new, aggressive glint in their eyes.
"We’ve been solid, but we need to be more ruthless," Leo concluded. "Let’s go out there tomorrow and show this league that we’re not just here to defend our title spot; we’re here to dominate it. Any questions?"
There were none. They were a well-oiled machine, ready for their next challenge.
Later that day, after his own successful training session, Leo logged off and met Ethan in the park. He found his friend sitting on their usual bench, moodily throwing breadcrumbs to a group of pigeons.
"Let me guess," Leo said, sitting down beside him.
"The ’cool-down’ period is not very cool?"
"It’s torture," Ethan grumbled. "I got suspended from my real job for fighting a guy over jam, and now I’m suspended from my virtual job for being too stressed about it. I feel like the universe is telling me to just take a nap."
"Maybe you should," Leo said with a grin.
"You look terrible." He was, of course, wearing his bright blue Apex United tracksuit in the real world as a show of solidarity, or more accurately, to annoy Ethan as much as possible.
"Haha," Ethan said, not amused. "How was your day in paradise, managing the mighty Orion?"
"Productive," Leo said, leaning back. "The lads are flying. Morale is high. We’re ready to dismantle Newport tomorrow. It’s all going perfectly."
"That’s good," Ethan said, and he meant it. He was genuinely happy for his friend’s success.
They sat in a comfortable silence for a while, watching the world go by.
"You know," Leo said, his tone turning more thoughtful. "It’s weird."
"This whole thing," Leo said, gesturing vaguely at the air. "It’s the most exciting thing that’s ever happened to us, right? We’re secret football managers, we’re discovering wonderkids, we’re building dynasties... but doesn’t it feel a bit... repetitive sometimes?"
Ethan looked at him, surprised.
"I don’t know," Leo mused. "It’s like... I wake up, I go to the game, I run training, I analyze the opposition, I play a match. Then I log off, I eat, I sleep. Then I wake up and do it all again. It’s a loop. A really, really fun loop, but still a loop. Life is good, but it’s the same kind of good every day."
Ethan knew exactly what he meant.
The initial, chaotic thrill of discovery was starting to settle into a routine.
A brilliant routine, but a routine nonetheless.
The cycle of work, game, sleep, repeat.
"I get it," Ethan said.
"It’s like we’ve found the perfect game, but we’re still just playing the game."
"Exactly!" Leo said, glad to be understood.
"I just feel like there should be something more. Another level. A new quest, you know?"
They sat with that thought for a moment, two friends who had been given the key to an extraordinary world, already wondering what lay beyond its borders.
As if on cue, Ethan’s phone buzzed.
He pulled it out, expecting a message from his sister or a notification from a news app.
But it was a message from a number he didn’t recognize.
He opened it. The message was short, cryptic, and sent a jolt of pure, unadulterated adrenaline through his entire body.
The message contained only three things.
First, a set of geographic coordinates, pinpointing a location in a remote, industrial part of their own city.
Second, a time: Midnight. Tonight.
And third, a single, chilling sentence that made the hair on the back of Ethan’s neck stand up.
"The game is real. We know who you are. Come alone. It’s time to meet the other managers."