The sun had completely set by the time Rio parted ways with Mateo.
Usually, Rio would head back to his tiny, lonely studio apartment in the city center. It was close to the academy, practical, and utterly silent.
But tonight, the silence felt wrong. He had news. Big news. The kind of news you couldn't just text with a thumbs-up emoji.
He caught the number 4 bus heading toward the outskirts of Girona, to the quiet residential neighborhood where he grew up.
As the bus rattled over the cobblestones, Rio leaned his head against the cool window, watching the streetlights blur.
Rio_Lance: Hey guys, I'm going to visit my parents. I haven't told them yet.
Hand_Of_King: Parents?
Dinho_Magic_10: Family is everything!
King_10: Focus, Diego. This is a big moment for the boy. His father probably thinks he is going to be a baker by next week. This will be a pleasant surprise.
Rio smiled at the screen. He was nervous. For the past six months, every time he visited home, the conversation had been tense.
His dad would ask, "How is training?" and Rio would have to lie and say, "Good, good," while knowing he was on the verge of being cut.
Tonight, he didn't have to lie.
He hopped off the bus and walked down the familiar street. He stopped in front of a modest, two-story house with a small garden where his mother grew tomatoes that never seemed to turn red.
"I'm home!" Rio called out.
"Rio?" His mother's voice came from the kitchen. Elena Lance rushed out, wiping her hands on an apron. She was a short woman with kind eyes and a grip strength that could crush a walnut.
She pulled him into a hug that squeezed the air out of his lungs.
"You didn't say you were coming! Are you hungry? Of course you are, you're skinny as a rail."
"I just ate, Mamá," Rio laughed, hugging her back.
"Nonsense. You ate garbage. Come, sit."
His father, Carlos, walked in from the living room. He was a tall man, broad-shouldered from years of working construction. He looked tired, but his face lit up when he saw his son.
"Rio!" Carlos clapped a heavy hand on Rio's shoulder.
"Good to see you, son. How are the legs?"
"They work," Rio grinned.
"And look who decided to grace us with his presence," a voice teased from the stairs.
Rio looked up to see his sister, Sofia, coming down. She was seventeen, sharp-tongued, and the only person in the world who could roast Rio harder than Maradona.
"Hey, Sofi," Rio said. "Still failing math?"
"I'm passing," she smirked. "Still tripping over your own feet?"
Hand_Of_King: I like her. She speaks the truth.
"Is Leo home?" Rio asked, looking around.
"In his cave," Sofia pointed to the room under the stairs. "He's been playing video games for six hours. He's going to turn into a mushroom."
Rio walked over to the dinner table where his mom was already setting a plate of stew, ignoring his protests that he wasn't hungry.
"So," his dad said, sitting down and pouring a glass of water. "What brings you home on a Tuesday? Did you... did you need money for rent?"
There was a worry in his dad's voice that broke Rio's heart. They thought he was struggling. They thought he was failing.
Rio took a deep breath. He put his fork down.
"Actually," Rio said, looking at his parents.
"I have news. The First Team manager, Michel, came to practice today."
The room went quiet. His mom stopped stirring the pot. His dad leaned forward.
"And?" Carlos asked.
"And... I played a match against the pros," Rio said, trying to keep his voice steady but failing to hide the grin. "We lost. Badly. But... Michel picked two players to join the First Team squad for the trip to Seville."
He paused for dramatic effect.
"I'm one of them."
For three seconds, nobody moved. Then, chaos.
"Ay! Dios mío!" His mother screamed, dropping the ladle into the stew. She rushed over and smothered him in kisses.
"My baby! My baby is a professional!"
"Seville?" His dad stood up, his eyes wide.
"You're going to play against Betis? In the Benito Villamarín?"
"Maybe just sit on the bench," Rio clarified. "But I'm traveling with the team. I'm training with them."
"That's incredible!" Sofia punched his arm, actually looking impressed.
"So you didn't trip?"
"I tripped a little," Rio admitted. "But I also nutmegged a guy."
Zizou_5: A beautiful moment. Cherish this, Rio. The pride of a father is the greatest trophy you will ever win.
Dinho_Magic_10: Look at the mom! She is crying! Hug her again!
While the family celebrated, the door to the room under the stairs creaked open.
A boy walked out. He was tall—taller than Rio already, despite being only fifteen.
He had messy dark hair and wore oversized headphones around his neck. He held a gaming controller loosely in one hand.
It was Leo, Rio's younger brother.
"What's all the screaming?" Leo asked, blinking in the light. He looked bored, his posture slouched.
"Leo!" Mom wiped her tears.
"Your brother! He made the First Team squad! He's going to Seville!"
Leo looked at Rio. His expression didn't change much. He just shrugged.
"Cool. Congrats."
It was a cold reaction. Rio felt a slight pang of disappointment. He and Leo used to play in the park every day when they were kids. But about two years ago, Leo had just... stopped.
He stopped watching games, stopped playing, and retreated into his room.
"Thanks, Leo," Rio said.
Leo walked to the fridge, grabbed a soda, and turned to go back to his room.
As he turned, Rio's interface flickered.
[System Feature: 'The Scout's Eye' is Active.]
[Target in Range. Analyzing...]
Rio hadn't meant to use it. It just happened automatically because he was staring at his brother.
A holographic stat card popped up above Leo's head.
Rio glanced at it casually, expecting to see typical teenager stats. Low physicals, maybe decent gaming reflexes.
[Name: Leo Lance]
[Age: 15]
[Role: Hidden Gem]
[Overall Rating: 68]
Rio rubbed his eyes. 68?
Rio was a 59. His brother, who sat in a dark room playing Call of Duty all day, was a 68?
He looked closer at the detailed breakdown.
[Detailed Stats:]
Speed: 75 (B-Rank)
Dribbling: 88 (A-Rank)
Passing: 85 (A-Rank)
Vision: 90 (S-Rank)
Shooting: 70 (B-Rank)
Mental: 40 (F-Rank - Disinterested)
[Potential Rating: 94 (Legendary)]
The spoon fell out of Rio's hand and clattered onto the table.
Total_Football_14: Wait. Stop the scrolling. Did I just see a Vision stat of 90 on a fifteen-year-old?
King_10: System error? That is impossible. 90 Vision is... that is higher than most Premier League playmakers.
Hand_Of_King: And the Dribbling is 88! Who is this kid? Is he an alien? Rio, why is your brother a better footballer than you?
Rio felt a mix of shock and confusion.
He knew Leo was talented when they were kids but this? This was insane.
A 68 rating at fifteen meant he should be the star of the academy. He should be playing for Spain U17s.
"Leo, wait," Rio called out, standing up.
Leo paused, his hand on his doorknob.
"What?"
Rio walked over to him.
"I... I haven't seen you play in a long time. Do you still kick the ball around?"
Leo rolled his eyes. "No. I told you, Rio. I quit."
"But why?" Rio asked, glancing at the glowing Potential: 94 floating above his brother's head.
"You were good. You were really good."
"I was okay," Leo mumbled. "Whatever. It's a stupid game. Just running around chasing a bag of air. It's boring."
Dinho_Magic_10: BORING?! Did he just say football is boring?! Hold me back! I want to jump through the screen and shake him!
Zizou_5: Calm yourself, Ronnie. Look at the stats. His 'Mental' is 40. He is disillusioned. Something happened to him.
Rio stepped closer. "Leo, listen. I'm going to train with Michel tomorrow. Why don't you come watch? Maybe... maybe you could join a local team again? Just for fun?"
Leo laughed, but it was a dry, cynical sound.
"Fun? Rio, look at you. You've been stressed out of your mind for three years. You come home looking like a zombie. Dad worries about you every night. You call that fun?"
Rio was stunned. He hadn't realized his struggle was so visible.
"That's part of the grind," Rio argued. "But the feeling of winning? The feeling of the crowd? It's worth it."
"Not to me," Leo said flatly.
"I'd rather level up my character in my game. At least there, the rules are fair."
Leo opened his door. "Good luck in Seville, Rio. Really. I hope you make it. But don't try to drag me back into that. I'm done."
He stepped into his room and closed the door.
The silence returned to the living room.
"He's going through a phase," Mom sighed, stirring the stew again.
"He's a teenager. He hates everything."
"He's wasting his time," Dad grumbled. "He could have been good."
Rio stood there, staring at the closed door. The stat card faded away, but the numbers were burned into his mind. Vision: 90.
Hand_Of_King: Rio. That boy is a crime against football. To have feet like that and use them to walk to the fridge? It is a sin.
Total_Football_14: He sees the game differently. 'The rules aren't fair,' he said. Interesting. A genius who rejects the canvas.
Rio_Lance: He's better than me. He's barely played in two years, and he's rated 68. I've been training every day and I'm a 59.
Rio felt a strange emotion. It wasn't jealousy—he loved his brother. It was frustration. It was like seeing a winning lottery ticket sitting in the trash.
King_10: Talent is nothing without desire, Rio. You have the hunger of a wolf. He has the hunger of a... well, a well-fed house cat. Do not envy him. You are the one going to Seville.
Zizou_5: Pele is right. But... perhaps we can wake him up. Later. For now, you have a stew to eat. And a plane to catch.
Rio turned back to the table. His mom was piling food onto his plate.
"Eat," she commanded. "You need strength if you're going to be on TV."
Rio sat down and took a bite. The stew was delicious. Warm, savory, perfect.
He looked at his dad, who was beaming with pride. He looked at Sofia, who was already texting her friends that her brother was famous.
Rio smiled. His life had officially become very, very complicated.
But as he ate another spoonful of his mother's cooking, Rio thought: Bring it on.
[System Notification: Hidden Quest Generated!]
[Quest Name: The Sleeping Giant]
[Objective: Reignite Leo's passion for football.]
[Reward: Unknown.]
[Status: Active]
Rio almost choked on a potato. Even the System wanted Leo back in the game.
He wiped his mouth, thanked his mom, and prepared for the biggest week of his life.