The Pressure of Academia Igualada

Daniel slumped over his desk, running a hand through his hair as he stared at his notes. The pages were filled with formulas, historical dates, and grammatical structures—a tangled mess of information he desperately needed to sort out.Exams were only a few days away, and Academia Igualada wasn't an easy school. The teachers expected the best, and Daniel was still struggling to keep up with Catalan, Spanish, and his other subjects. Football training had taken up most of his free time, and now he was paying the price.He sighed and tapped his pen against the desk. Mathematics had always been his weakest subject, and the formulas for algebra and geometry seemed to blur together in his mind. He had never considered himself bad at school, but ever since he arrived in Igualada, balancing everything had been a challenge."Estàs bé?" a familiar voice asked.Daniel looked up to see Sofia, holding her own stack of books. She had just finished training and was still wearing her CF Igualada warm-up jacket."Yeah," Daniel muttered, rubbing his temples. "Just trying to get all this stuff into my head."Sofia smiled and pulled up a chair beside him. "Need some help?"Daniel hesitated. He hated asking for help, but Sofia was one of the top students in the class. If anyone could get him through this, it was her."Yeah, actually," he admitted. "Math is killing me."Sofia giggled and flipped open his textbook. "Okay, let's start with functions. You remember what Coach says—simplify the play. Same with math. First, what's the main formula?"Daniel stared at the page, then groaned. "I have no idea."Sofia shook her head with a teasing grin. "You are hopeless."

The Exam Crunch

For the next few days, Daniel barely had time for anything else. His schedule was brutal—school in the morning, studying in the afternoon, football training in the evening, and more studying at night. Even Mateo noticed how exhausted he looked."You're gonna burn yourself out, kid," his uncle warned as he dropped him off at CF Igualada's training ground."No choice," Daniel yawned. "If I fail, I might not be able to play."Mateo sighed but didn't argue. He knew how much football meant to Daniel.At school, Daniel's classmates were just as stressed. Miguel and Luis were in the same boat, buried in notes and textbooks, while other students chatted nervously about the upcoming exams.During an English class, the teacher made them do a practice essay. Daniel tried to focus, but his brain was fried. Halfway through, he found himself staring out the window, watching the clouds drift by. His mind wandered back to the mystery surrounding his pursuers.It had been weeks since the last attack. The silence made him uneasy. Was it really over? Or were they just waiting for the right moment?"Daniel?" The teacher's voice snapped him back to reality."Uh—yes?""You need to focus if you want to pass this term," she said, raising an eyebrow.Daniel sighed and forced himself to concentrate. Right now, he had to survive these exams. Everything else—football, mysteries, and powers—could wait.The school was dead silent as students filed into the exam hall. Daniel took his seat, his heart pounding.The first paper was math. He took a deep breath and flipped the sheet over. His stomach twisted as he saw the first question—functions.Sofia's words echoed in his head: Simplify the play.Daniel tightened his grip on his pen and got to work.