Episode 42: Under Pressure
The drills that day were worse than ever. Players were dropping like flies.
Pulled hamstrings, twisted knees, panic attacks. Iron Stride wasn't just breaking bodies now—it was breaking minds.
Felix walked by Jaden during water break, smirking. "Still standing? That's impressive."
Jaden didn't bite. "I'm not going anywhere."
Felix laughed quietly. "We'll see."
Coach Vance called for scrimmage. "Carter. Ward. Opposing teams."
Jaden's heart rate spiked.
They were putting the two of them head-to-head. On purpose.
The Felix vs. Jaden Match Begins
It was tight from the first whistle.
Felix wasn't just skilled—he was clever, ruthless.
He used the smallest spaces, the smartest runs. But Jaden had been studying him.
He saw it. The moments of laziness between passes. The half-second where Felix dropped his guard.
And he used it.
Jaden broke through with a sudden interception, slicing through the defense and chipping it over the keeper.
Goal.
He didn't celebrate.
He just stared across the pitch.
Felix was smiling. But his eyes were furious.
And for the first time… he looked nervous.