McCall couldn’t move.
His heartbeat pounded so loudly he barely heard the players talking around him.
“How long have you been hearing the King’s voice?”
The words echoed over and over in his mind.
There was no way Adrian could have guessed.
No one knew about the First King.
No one knew about the System.
No one knew about the Arena Beyond Time.
Yet Adrian had spoken as if he already knew everything.
“McCall?”
Jake nudged him.
“You alright?”
McCall blinked.
“Huh?”
“You’ve been staring into space for like a minute.”
“Oh…”
He forced a smile.
“I’m fine.”
Jake frowned but decided not to press him.
“Coach wants everyone back.”
McCall nodded.
“I’ll be there.”
As Jake walked away, McCall glanced toward Adrian.
The transfer student was laughing with a few teammates, acting as though nothing had happened.
“Was I imagining it?”
No…
The warning from the System had been real.
Unknown Energy Signature.
Threat Level: ???
He wasn’t imagining anything.
The afternoon training session intensified.
Coach Williams divided the squad into two teams for an eleven-versus-eleven practice match.
“Starters in blue.”
“Reserves in red.”
McCall adjusted the red training bib over his shirt.
Jake jogged over beside him.
“This is our chance.”
McCall nodded.
“We just have to play our game.”
Across the field…
Ethan stretched calmly before joining the blue team.
Ryan cracked his neck.
Adrian, Lily, and Noah also joined the blue side.
Coach Williams noticed McCall looking at Adrian.
“Problem?”
McCall hesitated.
“No, Coach.”
“Good.”
Coach blew the whistle.
“Let’s play.”
The match started at an incredible pace.
The blue team dominated possession.
Their passing was sharp.
Their movement precise.
Adrian fit into the team almost immediately.
“He’s incredible…”
McCall thought.
Every pass Adrian made arrived exactly where his teammates wanted it.
Not too hard.
Not too soft.
Perfect.
Even Ethan looked impressed.
Ryan called out,
“Nice ball!”
Adrian smiled politely.
“Thank you.”
But every few seconds…
His eyes drifted back toward McCall.
Watching.
Measuring.
Waiting.
Twenty minutes into the match…
Jake intercepted a pass.
“McCall!”
He sent the ball forward.
McCall received it with his newly mastered first touch.
Perfect. Find the original chapter at g.com.
He turned.
Only one defender remained.
Ryan.
“So…”
Ryan smirked.
“Let’s see if yesterday was luck.”
McCall dribbled slowly.
His mind stayed calm.
“Don’t rush.”
“Watch the hips.”
Ryan lunged.
McCall feinted left.
Then pushed the ball right.
Ryan missed.
The crowd around the training pitch cheered.
“He beat Ryan!”
McCall accelerated.
Only the goalkeeper remained.
Then—
Whoosh!
Someone appeared beside him.
Adrian.
“So fast…”
McCall barely had time to react.
Adrian reached for the ball.
Their shoulders collided.
The football bounced into the air.
For one brief moment…
Time seemed to slow.
McCall jumped.
Adrian jumped.
Their hands accidentally brushed.
The instant they touched—
BOOM!
A pulse of golden energy exploded between them.
No one else saw it.
To everyone watching…
It looked like an ordinary collision.
But inside McCall’s mind…
Everything changed.
He was standing somewhere else.
A vast stone hall.
Dozens of figures wearing black cloaks knelt before a throne.
Upon the throne sat…
The Crown Mask.
His face remained hidden.
Only his voice echoed through the chamber.
“The Four Relics have begun awakening.”
A cloaked figure stepped forward.
“The Successor has claimed the Heart.”
“What about the Journal?”
“We’re still searching.”
“The Whistle?”
“Missing.”
“The Crown?”
“…Unknown.”
The masked ruler slowly stood.
“Find the boy.”
“Win his trust.”
“If trust fails…”
His voice became ice.
“Take the Heart by force.”
The vision shattered.
McCall stumbled backward onto the football field.
His breathing became erratic.
“What…”
Adrian stood a few meters away.
He looked equally shocked.
“Impossible…”
Adrian thought.
“He saw my memory.”
The System suddenly appeared.
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
New Ability Unlocked
King’s Vision
Current Level: 1
Allows brief glimpses into memories connected to powerful Legacy bearers.
Side Effect: Visit g.com for the full chapter.
Mental fatigue.
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
McCall grabbed his head.
A sharp pain shot through his skull.
Coach Williams immediately blew the whistle.
“Stop!”
He hurried over.
“McCall!”
“Are you injured?”
McCall looked up.
“No…”
“I…”
The words caught in his throat.
How could he explain what had just happened?
Coach placed a hand on his shoulder.
“Sit this one out.”
“You look pale.”
McCall nodded weakly.
As he walked toward the bench…
He noticed Adrian watching him.
Not with hostility.
With concern.
And confusion.
“He wasn’t expecting that either…”
Training ended just before sunset.
Players slowly left the field.
Jake waved goodbye.
“See you tomorrow!”
“See you.”
Soon…
Only McCall remained.
He sat alone on the same bench where he had once watched everyone else play.
The irony wasn’t lost on him.
Months ago…
This bench had symbolized failure.
Now…
It had become the place where he thought most clearly.
Footsteps approached.
McCall looked up.
It was Adrian.
He stopped a few feet away.
For a long moment…
Neither of them spoke.
Finally…
Adrian broke the silence.
“You saw something today.”
McCall stood.
“So did you.”
Adrian nodded.
“Yes.”
Silence returned.
Then Adrian said quietly,
“I am not your enemy.”
McCall didn’t lower his guard.
“Then tell me who you are.”
Adrian glanced toward the empty field before answering.
“I belong to an organization called…”
He stopped suddenly.
His expression changed.
His eyes widened.
“Get down!”
Before McCall could react—
CRACK!!
A football wrapped in black flames tore through the air like a cannonball.
It smashed straight through the wooden bench behind them.
The bench exploded into splinters.
Students in the distance screamed.
Smoke filled the air.
Standing at the far end of the empty pitch was a lone figure dressed entirely in black.
A raven-shaped mask covered his face.
He calmly bounced another football on his knee.
Tap.
Tap.
Tap.
His distorted voice drifted across the field.
“Successor…”
“The hunt…”
“…begins now.”