Balancing the Game and the Girl

The sun dipped low over Igualada, casting golden hues across the training ground. Daniel wiped the sweat from his brow as he stepped off the pitch, his legs aching from another grueling session. The intensity had ramped up—Coach Morales wasn't letting them slack now that they were in the Under-19 squad.

Miguel nudged him as they walked toward the locker room. "You're still thinking about last night, aren't you?"

Daniel scoffed. "What are you talking about?"

Luis smirked. "Don't play dumb, Carter. You and Sofia."

"Nothing happened," Daniel said, but even he could hear how unconvincing it sounded.

Miguel grinned. "Not yet."

Daniel shook his head and pushed open the locker room door. Football first, everything else second.

Or at least, that was what he told himself.

School, Training, and Everything in Between

The next morning, Daniel barely had time to breathe before school took over. Academia Igualada was no joke—their teachers didn't care that he played football. Tests were tests, assignments were assignments, and missing deadlines wasn't an option.

During English class, Sofia passed him a note under the desk.

"Coffee after school?"

Daniel glanced at her, and she raised an eyebrow as if daring him to say no.

"Sure."

He slid the note back.

The day blurred by—Spanish, Catalan, math, then football tactics in P.E. Before he knew it, he was sitting across from Sofia at a café for the second time that week.

She stirred her coffee absentmindedly. "So, do you ever get tired?"

Daniel frowned. "Of what?"

"Balancing it all. Football, school, life."

He shrugged. "I don't really have a choice."

Sofia leaned back. "But if you did?"

Daniel hesitated. His mind flashed back to the moments where time slowed down around him, where the world blurred, where he felt completely out of sync with reality. His powers weren't just some gift—they were a weight, one he still didn't fully understand.

"Then I'd still pick football," he said finally. "Because it's the only time I feel… normal."

Sofia studied him for a moment, then nodded. "Fair enough."

The Pressure of the League

CF Igualada was gearing up for another league match, and the pressure was building. The expectations were higher, and every mistake mattered.

Coach Morales gathered the team before kickoff. "We need a win. We've dropped points, and we can't afford to slip further. Stick to the game plan."

Daniel adjusted his jersey as they stepped onto the pitch. The opposing team—U.E. Sant Andreu—looked sharp. This wasn't going to be easy.

The match started at a frantic pace. Daniel found himself tightly marked, struggling to find space. Every touch had to be perfect.

Then came the moment—Miguel flicked a pass through the defense, and Daniel sprinted onto it. He had half a second to react, the goalkeeper rushing forward.

Time slowed.

Daniel saw everything—the keeper's positioning, the defenders scrambling, the gap at the near post. He took the chip into the net.

The net rippled.

1-0.

The stadium erupted, but Daniel barely heard it. His heartbeat pounded in his ears.

Was it his skill? Or his power?

He didn't have time to think. The game wasn't over yet.

A New Rivalry

Late in the second half, with CF Igualada leading 2-1, an opposing player clattered into Daniel from behind. He hit the ground hard, pain shooting through his knee.

Sofia, watching from the stands, jumped up. "Ref, are you blind?!"

The referee waved play on.

Daniel clenched his jaw. Get up.

The opposing player, a tall, dark-haired midfielder, smirked down at him. "Next time, stay down."

Daniel locked eyes with him. He didn't know this guy's name, but he'd remember his face.

The match ended 2-1, but something told Daniel that this wasn't the last time he'd see that player.

After the Game

Sofia met him outside the stadium. "That tackle was dirty."

Daniel stretched his knee, testing it. The pain was fading fast, like always. "I'm fine."

She crossed her arms. "You say that too much."

He grinned. "I mean it."

Sofia sighed. "Come on, let's go celebrate the win. My treat."

Daniel hesitated, then nodded. Maybe, just for tonight, he could let go of everything else.

Football. School. His powers. The people still out there, hunting him.

For now, all that mattered was the moment.