Chapter 30 — The Night Before the Game
The Dodgers had never been this silent.
Practice was over.
The sun was going down.
Everyone went home.
Tomorrow was the day.
The Hawks.
The strongest team they had ever faced.
Zach walked home slowly beside his mom, Priscilla, who had just finished work.
She looked down at him.
"You're quieter than usual, sweetheart."
Zach looked at the sidewalk.
"I'm thinking."
She smiled a little.
"About tomorrow?"
Zach nodded.
"Yes."
She nudged his shoulder gently.
"You'll be fine."
Zach didn't respond at first.
Then he said quietly:
"…Mom? What if I mess up?"
Priscilla stopped walking and knelt down in front of him.
"Zachariah Miller," she said softly, brushing his hair back, "look at me."
He did.
"You are brave. You are smart. And you work harder than any kid I've ever seen."
She cupped his cheek.
"If you mess up, you get back up. That's all that matters."
Zach swallowed hard.
"And your team believes in you," she added.
Zach felt something warm flicker in his chest.
The system pulsed.
Ping.
"Emotional Stability Increased."
"Shared Focus Strength +1%."
Zach blinked.
Even this could help the team.
Blake's House — A Hard Conversation
Over at Blake's home, things were… different.
He sat at the kitchen table.
His dad stood across from him—arms crossed, expression stern.
"You sure your shoulder's okay?" his father asked.
"Yes," Blake said quickly.
He wasn't lying.
But he wasn't telling the whole truth either.
His dad didn't look convinced.
"You know what happens if you play injured," he said carefully.
Blake tightened his jaw.
"I'm fine."
His father sighed, rubbing his eyes.
"Blake… I push you because I want you to be the best. You understand that, right?"
Blake nodded slowly.
His dad continued:
"But I don't want you to tear your arm apart before you're even ten."
Blake blinked.
This was the softest he'd ever heard his dad speak.
His father leaned forward.
"You're allowed to rest. You're allowed to be careful. Being smart isn't weakness."
Blake stared at him.
"…Even if people expect me to be strong?"
His dad nodded.
"Especially then."
Blake's throat tightened.
"…Okay."
The system pulsed through Zach—even miles away.
Ping.
"Teammate Emotional Load Reduced."
"Blake's Confidence Stabilized."
"Synergy Bond Strengthened."
Zach felt it like a warm thread connecting them.
He smiled.
Tyler's Room — A Surprising Fear
Tyler lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling.
His room was a complete disaster.
Cups.
Candy wrappers.
Baseball cards everywhere.
He rolled over and whispered:
"I'm scared."
His older sister, Mia, peeked into his room.
"You okay, goofball?"
Tyler looked up.
"…What if I mess up tomorrow? What if I let everyone down?"
She smirked, walked over, and flicked his forehead.
"Ow!"
"You already messed up your room, your report card, and the bathroom last week," she said.
"And the world didn't explode."
Tyler stared at her.
"You're… not helping."
Mia sighed and sat beside him.
"Tyler, listen. You make people smile. You help them breathe. You make your team lighter."
Tyler blinked.
"That's… important?"
"It's extremely important," she said, ruffling his hair.
"It's your superpower."
Tyler's eyes widened slightly.
"…Really?"
"Really."
The system pinged across the link.
"Tyler's Emotional Barrier Reduced."
"Confidence Boost Detected."
Zach, far away, felt the shift.
Tyler was scared.
But determined.
Zach's System Wakes Up
That night, as Zach lay in bed—
the system pulsed harder than ever.
Then a new message appeared.
PING—
"Major Mission Unlocked."
MISSION: THE HAWKS SHOWDOWN
Objective: Lead your team to victory."
Bonus Objective: Strengthen Shared Focus to Lv.2."
Reward listed:
Stat Boost for All Teammates
New Pitch Path Available
Team Skill Upgrade
Story Progression
Zach sat up.
This was the biggest mission yet.
And then—
One last line appeared:
"You are not alone."
Zach slowly placed his hand over his chest.
No…
he wasn't.
The entire team's emotions—
even faintly—
flowed through him.
Tyler's nervous excitement.
Blake's steady determination.
Emma's focus.
Bryan's fear and hope.
Noah's chaotic curiosity.
Micah, Eli, Jaden—ready and anxious.
Zach whispered into the dark:
"We're ready."
And the system responded:
Ping.
"Tomorrow: Challenge Begins."