The night before CF Igualada's next match, Daniel lay awake, staring at the ceiling of his room. His body ached from training, but his mind refused to rest.
Mateo's revelation about Elias still haunted him. The leader of the organization was alive. Worse—he was more powerful than Daniel.How was he supposed to deal with that?Daniel turned over, checking his phone. A notification popped up from Sofia.Sofia: ¿Estás bien? (Are you okay?)He hesitated before replying.Daniel: Yeah. Just thinking.A minute later, another message.Sofia: We have a match tomorrow. Get some sleep, Carter my team let me have the day off so i will play the match with you.Daniel exhaled, putting his phone down. .Tomorrow, they were facing CF Vilanova. A strong opponent. If he wanted to prove himself, he couldn't afford to be distracted.The Estadi Les Comes buzzed with anticipation. The stands weren't completely full, but the home fans were lively, chanting in Catalan and Spanish."¡Vamos, Igualada!"Daniel stood in the tunnel, rolling his shoulders. This was his chance to prove himself.Coach Morales walked up, his sharp eyes scanning the team."Daniel, you're starting today."Daniel blinked. "De verdad?" (Really?)Morales nodded. "You've been training well. Show me why I made the right choice."As Daniel stepped onto the field, a surge of adrenaline shot through him.This was it.The referee's whistle blew.CF Igualada vs. CF Vilanova.The first ten minutes were intense. Vilanova pressed aggressively, keeping Igualada's defense under pressure.Daniel focused, trying to control his breathing. He needed to stay sharp.Then, in the 25th minute—A counterattack.Javi sent a long ball forward. Daniel sprinted, his time-perception flickering just enough.Everything slowed.He saw the defender shifting his weight. The goalkeeper moving slightly to his right.Daniel adjusted his angle, faked a shot—then cut inside.A split second later, he fired.GOL.The stadium erupted.1-0, Igualada.Daniel barely had time to celebrate before Vilanova struck back. Their striker broke through the defense and slammed a shot past their keeper.1-1.Daniel cursed under his breath. This match was far from over.At halftime, as the team regrouped, Daniel's head pounded. His power was fluctuating again.Mateo's words rang in his ears.Your power is unfinished.Sofia nudged him. "Estás bien?"Daniel exhaled. "Yeah. Just need to focus."As the second half began, he pushed everything else out of his mind.Football first. Mystery and danger later.For now, he had a match to win.