ECHOES OF ANTITHESIS : THE RIFT OF REALMS

2. The Prodigy

Ren Akihito - 19 years old . The Greatest Football Prodigy of the Japanese Football Association- NEO TOKYO

With a mop of unruly hair that seemed to defy gravity and a perpetual glint of determination in his eyes, he was a force to be reckoned with on and off the football field. Ren had always been a prodigy, his talent for the beautiful game evident from a young age. But what set him apart was not just his skill with the ball, but his relentless work ethic and unwavering dedication to his craft. It was his tireless commitment to improvement, his willingness to push himself to the limit day in and day out, that had set him apart from his peers. Despite his relentless pursuit of greatness, Ren remained grounded and humble, never allowing his success to go to his head. He was a team player through and through, always quick to credit his teammates for their contributions and never shying away from hard work, even when the odds seemed stacked against him. While others partied and socialized, Ren could always be found on the football pitch, sweating and straining under the harsh glare of the floodlights, his singular focus fixed on one goal - to be the best.

It was just another Thursday , The sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows across the deserted football court where Ren was practicing his skills for the tournament he has the next day. It was a really important match that was going to be held. Ren was so focused that With each precise kick and swift maneuver, he lost himself in the rhythm of the game, the thud of the ball against his foot echoing through the empty stadium. Before he knew it, the sun set low and the floodlights became the only thing that guided him in the darkness of the court. As he guided the ball through the court hitting goal after goal creating an imaginary field with invisible players in his field of vision. A "mind court" he calls it. It was his way of practice, a trick of sorts that helped him in being the best among his peers. He could see everything , every possible way the players could obstruct him , not letting him take the goal and he had a counter for every tactic along the way. It was a peculiar sight for anyone watching him go around the field. But not anyone could be that exceptional and athletic. He's perfected it , the game of the MIND COURT .

After what seemed like forever practicing he came to a halt with a sense of relief in his eyes, his body steaming under the floodlights like a burning incense. He looked at the empty field , the misty court , the floodlights on all four ends of the court. The moths hovering in front of the lights. The moon covered by the clouds. The wind in the air. He looked at his watch It was 7:20, way past the time for him to get back home. He knew that he's done his best for the match and all that's left is a full stomach and a goodnight's rest. He started walking toward the ball which was about 12 steps from him .The tranquil evening took a sudden turn for the ominous. The once steady floodlights overhead began to flicker erratically and burst out raining down sparks across all the three sides behind him leaving only one flickering in front of him. It was the only light in the whole court, Ren felt a sense of uneasiness. Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, Ren caught sight of something strange - the football he had been dribbling seemed to have a mind of its own. With an eerie grace, it veered off course, its trajectory guided by some unseen force. Ren's brow furrowed in confusion as he watched the ball glide effortlessly across the field, defying the laws of physics in a way that sent a chill down his spine. He watched as the ball approached the goal post with increasing speed, a sense of foreboding hanging heavy in the air. And then, just as suddenly as it had begun, the strange occurrence came to an abrupt halt. A Deafening silence , there was no wind in the air, although his instincts told him to stop and go back out of the court and not look back. His curiosity and adrenaline guided him towards the goal post. He reached the goal post and carefully looked at the ball and its surroundings trying to make sense of what actually happened. Not realizing what's actually happening behind him.

Ren took the ball into his hands and suddenly the world fell silent. His gut knew that something was happening behind him ..something out of the realms of his reality. He could see his shadow enlarging, a light soo bright that he could feel the warmth on his back. It was calm but chaotic at the same time. He slowly turned back and saw what he could only describe as "BLINDING". His eyes adjusted themselves to this ginormous circle of bright light with an otherworldly brilliance, he could hear the cracks forming in the air in front of him as the wind grew heavier. The sounds of the dimension breaking apart in front of his eyes, the heavy wind that was blowing chaotically all around him. There was no proper way his brain could comprehend what was happening in front of him. All he could was stare at it and as the circle grew larger than the goal post it stopped growing and came to a halt. Ren was trying to think of ways to get away from this phenomenon but his body would not listen. Before he knew it he was pulled into the bright light portal like a metal dragged towards a magnet. He fell into the portal and the reality distorted around him. As he fell into the portal he could see the immense void and emptiness all around him. He was falling... his eyes were looking into the eternal darkness and he felt surreal if all this was just his imagination or reality. He found himself in an empty never ending dark room with a bright elegant light in the center focused on something hovering mid-air.