The indoor pitch buzzed with rising tension. The fluorescent lights overhead hummed faintly, but it was the names echoing from Coach's mouth that truly charged the air.
"Third: Kyle Devens – Potential 80."
"Fourth: Sammy Lynn – Potential 85."
"Fifth: Mark Wilson – Potential 76."
"Sixth: Alex Turner – Potential 81."
Leon leaned over to James.
"Not a bad lineup… We just need a strong attacker."
James nodded once, still watching Coach. "Or someone who can make things happen out of nothing."
For a half-second, the silence cracked. Then it snapped into joy.
Leon threw his arms up, a grin exploding across his face. "Yes! Byon's with us!"
Byon sprinted over, sliding into place beside him like they'd been waiting for this moment their whole lives. Their high-five sounded like a mini thunderclap in the quiet tension of the room.
Leon leaned in, eyes gleaming. "It's like fate always puts us together, my friend."
Byon laughed breathlessly. "Let's show them who we are!"
"Eighth… Raphael Gibbs – Potential 86."
Raphael stepped forward from the back of the group, tall and lean, with a center-forward's grace and a defender's frame. His eyes didn't wander. They locked forward, cold and clear.
Leon studied him quietly. "A complete player… athletic, composed. This is good. We're not just strong—we're balanced."
The eight players in red slowly gathered together, their jerseys catching the fluorescent light in flickers. Leon stood at the center of the group, feeling the pieces fall into place—not just of the team, but of something bigger.
Across from them, the blue team had formed—equally focused, equally eager. Some faces he knew. Others had been background names. Now they were obstacles.
Coach stepped forward, voice carrying across the pitch.
"Alright. The remaining eight will be the blue team. Both squads are strong. Both have something to prove. Tomorrow, it won't come down to talent—it'll come down to grit, chemistry, and decision-making."
Leon's gaze swept over the opponents. A few were smirking. A few were sizing him up.
"Those are my opponents… I'll make sure the scouts remember my name."