Jayden and Cassandra stood by the watching circle, just outside the court.
One of the players noticed them and jogged over.
He was tall, muscular, with long dark hair pulled into a low bun. He had the vibe of someone who led by presence more than words.
"Hey, Cassandra," he greeted.
"Hey, Quinn," she waved casually.
He looked at Jayden. "Hey, man."
"Hey," Jayden returned casually.
Quinn turned back to Cassandra. "So, what brings you here? You thinking of joining the girls’ team?"
Cassandra shook her head. "Nah. I’ve already got a sport. But... I heard you’re missing a player on the boy’s team?"
Quinn nodded. "Yeah. I talked to Tasha earlier. She said she found someone, but I haven’t seen anyone yet. I’m starting to worry."
"Well," Cassandra said, smirking. "Worry no more. Here he is."
She motioned to Jayden.
Quinn turned to Jayden and gave him a good once-over. His gaze wasn’t hostile, just assessing.
"Alright. He looks fit. But can he land hoops?" he asked, looking straight at Jayden.
Jayden’s lips curled into a confident grin. "Why don’t you find out?"
Quinn smirked, clearly entertained. He let out a sharp whistle.
Instantly, the other players cleared the court, stepping aside with curiosity in their eyes. Quinn was definitely the captain here.
He picked up a basketball and tossed it toward Jayden.
"Alright, Silverhair. Show me what you got."
Jayden caught the ball with a calmness that didn’t match the rising tension. His silver hair shimmered in the sun, a lone wolf in a jungle of doubters.
He took a slow breath. And then.. he activated it.
Dragon Eye; Precision
The previous night, just before he went to sleep. Jayden was thinking about how he could up his game on basketball, be he couldn’t really think of anything plausible. Not until he remembered something... Dragon Eye.
He hadn’t explored the full extent of the skill and didn’t even remember some of the things it could do. But he had a feeling that the skill was the key to his basketball prowess. So he went to recheck the information on the skill and that’s when he saw them... Aura detection and Precision.
He knew about inspect and thermal imaging, and had even used them a couple of times. But he didn’t even remember that he could see aura and have ultimate accuracy.
So with that knowledge, he smirked and went to sleep with a quiet confidence in the system’s ability. And now, he was ready to test it.
As Jayden activated the skill, everything shifted. It was like the world had been painted over in slow motion. The edges of the court bled into blur, and only the basketball hoop remained.. a blazing red circle in his vision, like a target glowing through thermal goggles.
His pupils narrowed into unnoticeable sharp slits, flickering gold and crimson, as his perception tightened like a sniper’s scope. Every inch, every angle, every curve of the rim.. it all locked into place like a 3D blueprint in his mind.
Whump.
His heartbeat fell into rhythm.
Focus. Lock. Fire.
Jayden bent slightly and launched the ball with a smooth, graceful arc. It sailed through the air, kissed by the light, and...
Swish.
The ball went into the net. The sound echoed like prophecy.
The crowd froze.
Then someone shouted, "Yo! That was clean!"
Jayden caught another ball without hesitation and took another shot.
Swish.
It entered smoothly.
Swish.
He threw again.
Swish.
And again. And again, and again.
And each one went through the net with topmost precision.
Then he began doing trick shots... One hand throws, shots from behind and curved throws.
The crowd erupted.
People were coming in from other parts of the field now, drawn by the magnetism of raw power. A circle formed, phones out, mouths open. They watched as the silver-haired boy with handsome face rained down perfection like it was his birthright. He was basically farming aura.
The players on the court began placing bets with each other.
"No way he makes the next one, with his eyes closed!"
"He’s gotta miss one eventually!"
But he didn’t.
Jayden tossed a no-look shot, body turned completely around.
Swish.
It entered the net gracefully.
Then another, with his eyes closed.
Then one under the leg, backward, while spinning.
SWISH. SWISH. SWISH.
They all went in.
By the time he hit forty consecutive shots, the crowd had gone from disbelief to full-blown hysteria. People were chanting, clapping, throwing their caps in the air.
He dropped the ball like it was a mic. Turned. And walked back over to Cassandra and Quinn with that sly, Op grin.
Cassandra’s eyes were the size of moons. "I thought you said you’ve never played before!"
Jayden smirked, brushing a silver strand from his eyes. "I haven’t. I guess I’m just really good at it."
"Really good?" Quinn echoed, eyes gleaming. "Dude, even I can’t do what you just did. That was... that was incredible."
Jayden shrugged, casual as a cloud. "So... have I proven myself enough to be on the team?"
Quinn laughed. "Bro. You’re not just on the team. You’re leading it." he muttered. then turned to the other players. "Listen up! I’m making him our Starting Point Guard.. our lead tactician and offensive anchor!"
The crowd murmured. One of the players, a tall dude with freckles and a frown, raised his voice. "But Quinn.. I’m the Point Guard."
Quinn arched a brow. "Can you land forty hoops in a row?"
The guy hesitated. "...No."
"Then you’re not the Point Guard. He is." Quinn pointed at Jayden, and the whole team started clapping and cheering, patting Jayden on the back like he was the second coming of LeBron mixed with a demigod.
Jayden smiled, not from ego, but from genuine thrill. This wasn’t just about basketball, it was about discovering something terrifying. A new truth:
He could never miss.
Quinn slapped him on the back. "With you on the team, the Findabair boys don’t stand a chance."
Jayden nodded, and Quinn let out a low chortle before leaving. But just as Quinn walked away, Cassandra started backing off.
"Well, wish you luck." she said, turning.
Jayden tilted his head, teasing. "You’re not gonna stay and watch me play?"
Cassandra chuckled. "Of course I will. But I’ve gotta warm up. Girl’s competition comes first."
Jayden raised an eyebrow. "Wait.. you’re competing?"
She nodded proudly. "Yep. 4x100m relay. I’m the last leg."
Jayden blinked in surprise. "You’re an athlete? That’s actually really cool."
Cassandra smiled, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. "Thanks. I’ve always loved running. Sometimes I run so fast, I trip over my own feet..." she giggled. "It’s how I... sprained my ankle that day you saved me," she added, turning away bashfully.
Jayden chuckled. "Well then.. good luck out there."
"Back at you, silverhair." she winked, jogging off toward the track.
Jayden chuckled and watched her go for a second, then turned and walked back to the team, who were still buzzing with excitement. One by one, they introduced themselves, fist-bumping and hyping him up.
Jayden kept a cool face, nodding politely, learning their names and classes.
But deep, inside, he was euphoric.
He had just discovered a power that didn’t rely on brute strength, transformation, or beast form.
Just precision.
Pure, clean, deadly accuracy.
And that, somehow, felt more dangerous than claws or fangs.