Wednesday morning hit harder than the previous two.
Alex arrived at the first-team facility at 8:05 a.m., number 33 already on his back. The weight of the jersey felt more real with every passing day. Yesterday's drills had left bruises on his ribs and a burning fire in his legs, but he refused to show any weakness. The senior squad was watching. The media was watching. And somewhere in the back of his mind, the image of Sophia Ramirez and her son lingered — a quiet, forbidden spark he was already planning to explore slowly, carefully, over many weeks.
He stepped onto the pitch. The squad was already loosening up. Captain Marco "El Rey" Delgado gave him a firm nod. Carlos "El Pulpo" Mendoza smirked when their eyes met — the rivalry from yesterday clearly not forgotten. Diego "The Beast" Torres cracked his knuckles and stared a little longer than necessary.
Coach Victor Morales blew the whistle sharply. "Same groups. Today we push harder. Technical circuits, then full-pitch 11v11 with high press. Rivera — attacking mids again. Show me you can handle the pace."
The session began without mercy.
Technical Circuits – Relentless Pressure
They started with the tightest grids yet — four small 8x8 zones, one-touch maximum, immediate pressure from two defenders. The ball moved like lightning. Alex received a difficult pass while Mendoza and another veteran closed him down from both sides. He killed the ball with God's First Touch, dropped his shoulder, and used a rapid step-over to force Mendoza to commit. Then he triggered Phantom Shadow Dribble — the after-image flickered. Mendoza lunged at air. Alex exploded past him and played a perfectly weighted pass into the next grid.
Mendoza stood up, breathing hard, and muttered loud enough for nearby players to hear, "Kid's got flashy moves. Let's see how long they last when the game gets ugly."
The comment lit a fire in Alex.
I died watching legends on a couch. I'm not here to be tested by you.
Next came 1v2 defending in the box. Alex was asked to create against two senior defenders at once. Torres came in aggressively on the first challenge, shoulder barging hard. Alex absorbed the hit, used quick body feints to shift the second defender out of position, then burst past both with Phantom Shadow Dribble. He delivered a low cut-back that was finished cleanly.
Torres got up slowly, wiping grass from his shorts. "You're quick, Rivera. But speed doesn't win games when someone puts you on your ass."
The rivalry was no longer hidden. It was open and personal.
System notifications flashed in Alex's vision between drills.
[System Notification]
First-Team Training – Day 3 Bonus
EXP Gained: +740
Dribbling: +3 (now 99)
Physicality: +2 (now 85)
Phantom Shadow Dribble Progress: +24% (A+ Grade nearing Legendary threshold)
Full-Pitch 11v11 – The Real War
After a short water break, they moved into full-pitch 11v11 with high-intensity pressing from both sides. Coach Morales wanted to simulate match conditions. Alex was once again in the attacking team with Delgado and two senior strikers.
The game was brutal from the first touch.
Early on, Alex dropped into the No. 10 pocket and called for the ball. He received it under heavy pressure. Three players closed him down instantly. He performed a series of quick touches, shifting the ball between both feet, then unleashed Phantom Shadow Dribble twice in succession. The after-images left two defenders completely wrong-footed. He slipped a no-look through-ball that split the defence and created a clear chance. The striker missed it, but the quality drew shouts from the sideline.
"Vision!" Coach Morales yelled.
But the veterans fought back hard. In the very next attack, Mendoza deliberately overhit a pass to test Alex's control. The ball bounced awkwardly. Alex brought it down with God's First Touch under pressure, but Torres came in with a strong but legal challenge that sent him tumbling. Alex rolled and got up immediately, refusing to stay down.
Mendoza jogged past and smirked. "Welcome to the real game, pretty boy. Youth ball is over."
Alex didn't reply with words. He replied with actions. Minutes later he won the ball back high up the pitch, beat Mendoza with a sharp roulette, and delivered a pinpoint cross that was headed just over the bar. The message was clear: he was not backing down.
During the next short break, Alex jogged toward the sideline for water. The "Galaxy Young Stars Club" group was once again in the supervised viewing area behind the glass. Sophia Ramirez stood there with her son Mateo. She was dressed casually in jeans and a light jacket, her dark wavy hair tied back. Their eyes met for a brief second. She gave a small, polite, distant smile — nothing more. Her son waved excitedly. Alex returned a quick, professional smile and a thumbs-up to the boy before turning away.
It was still strictly public, supervised, and brief — exactly how the club allowed it. No private conversation. No flirting. Just another short, realistic sighting that kept the slow burn alive in Alex's mind.
She keeps coming back. Still watching. Still married. Still the mother of a young fan. I have to be patient. This one will take time… but she will be mine.
The 11v11 continued for another 40 minutes. Alex created three more clear chances and nearly scored himself with a powerful 28-yard strike that the keeper tipped over. His legs were screaming by the end, but he never dropped his intensity.
Coach Morales gathered the squad at the centre circle as the session ended.
"Good work today. Tomorrow we go even harder. Rivera — you're showing you can compete. We'll finalise the weekend squad list tomorrow evening. You won't start — you're still too young and new — but you will be on the bench as a substitute. Be ready if we need you."
The words sent a surge through Alex's body.
Bench spot confirmed. Not starting yet, but I'm one step away from my first senior-team appearance. This is how the climb really begins.
The players dispersed. Delgado patted him on the back. "You're handling the heat well, kid. Keep it up."
Mendoza and Torres exchanged glances but said nothing more. The rivalries were now fully alive.
As Alex walked toward the exit, the media vans outside the gates were even more crowded. The headlines were updating live:
"Rivera Continues to Impress on Day 3 – Bench Spot Confirmed for Weekend Squad"
"Mystery Blonde Scandal Grows as Young Star Trains with First Team"
The training arc was deepening. Rivalries were sharpening. The media storm was intensifying. And in the background, a new, long-term target continued to appear — slowly, realistically, and under the strict rules of the club.