Ethan Reyes had just completed his magnum opus. After 1,237 hours of gameplay, 14 seasons, and countless sleepless nights, he had taken a fictional version of AFC Wimbledon from League Two to Champions League glory in FIFA Career Mode. His tactics were revolutionary—fluid formations, inverted wingbacks, false nines, and gegenpressing before it was cool. Online forums hailed him as a "football savant." But outside his screen, no one knew his name.
He was 29. Jobless. Living in a shoebox apartment in Manila. His only companions were a flickering monitor, a half-eaten bag of chips, and a dream that had long since expired.
Then, the pain came.
A sharp stab in his chest. His vision blurred. The controller slipped from his fingers. The screen showed his virtual team lifting the trophy, but Ethan couldn't see it. His heart had given up—just like his dreams.
Darkness.
Then… light.
Grass. The scent of turf. The distant roar of a crowd. Ethan gasped and sat up, only to find himself in a locker room. His body felt different—leaner, stronger. He stumbled to a mirror and froze.
The man staring back was not Ethan Reyes. He was Elias Reyes, a 33-year-old former La Liga midfielder turned coach. The name was familiar. Ethan had managed Elias in FIFA years ago. A promising talent who retired early due to injury.
Now, Ethan was him.
A knock on the door.
"Coach Reyes, kickoff in ten. The lads are waiting."
Ethan blinked. Memories flooded in—Elias had just been appointed interim manager of CD Almazora, a third-division Spanish club on the brink of relegation. Their next match was against league leaders. A guaranteed loss.
Unless Ethan changed the script.
He wasn't just playing FIFA anymore.
He was inside it.