Time had become a blur.
The days passed like sprints — school, training, matches, repeat. And Vihaan was running on momentum now, not adrenaline. Four league matches had come and gone in what felt like a breath, but each game had left something behind — a bruise, a lesson, a whisper of belief.
Schalke was still chasing Dortmund. Every match was a must-win. One slip, and it was over.
Week 1:
It started with Köln. A scrappy, ugly game played on wet grass and under gray skies. They weren't the toughest team on paper, but they were annoyingly compact and physical. Vihaan played like a metronome — dictating the tempo, filling spaces, intercepting danger before it became real.
He didn't score. He didn't even assist. But he held the middle like a hinge, and when the final whistle blew at 1–0, Coach Müller pulled him aside.
"You're becoming the heart of this team," he said.
That night, Vihaan sat at the dinner table, still in half his kit. Sweat dried on his neck.
Anya stared at him like he'd just grown taller.
"Is it true you're the captain now?"
Vihaan shook his head, amused. "No. But I'm… sort of leading."
His father nodded approvingly. "Leadership isn't always about the armband."
For the first time, nobody asked him to clean up the plates.
Week 2 –
Then came Leverkusen.
Vihaan felt different walking into that match. Not nervous, just aware — of the way the crowd murmured when he touched the ball, of the extra space he was starting to get.
In the 22nd minute, he carved open the midfield with a diagonal pass so clean it looked rehearsed. Assist.
In the second half, he danced past two players and earned a foul on the edge of the box. A teammate buried it.
Final score: 2–1.
Man of the Match: Vihaan Mehra.
Back in school, people started noticing.
A senior who once shoved him in the corridor asked, "Yo, are you the Schalke kid everyone's talking about?"
Vihaan just nodded and walked on.
Even teachers changed tone — one even paused mid-lecture to ask if he'd been on Kicker's "U-15 Players to Watch" list.
Vihaan didn't answer. But yes, he had been. Right below a certain Florian Becker — Dortmund's golden boy.
Week 3 –
Every rise comes with a stumble.
Eintracht Frankfurt were tough. They pressed high, tackled harder, and Vihaan just… wasn't sharp that day. A pass too slow. A dribble too risky. Twice he gave the ball away, both times dangerously.
The game ended 1–1. A draw. A missed chance. Dortmund was now three points ahead again.
Coach Müller didn't shout. He just looked at him.
"You'll learn more from this than any win."
Vihaan walked off with clenched fists.
He didn't sleep well that night.
At home, he snapped at Arjun for touching his boots. When Anya offered him chocolate, he muttered something and went straight to his room.
His dad entered later, calm.
"You can't control every result. Even the best slip."
"I made us fall behind."
"Then make sure you're the reason we rise."
Week 4 –
Next, they played Mainz. In this match, Vihaan dominated — not with flash, but with awareness. He broke up play, threaded passes, and even curled in a free-kick that kissed the post before going in.
MVP.
This was his way to prove that one game cannot dictate his future.
On the other hand, Dortmund had drawn one of theirs.
Level on points. One game left.
By now, Schalke was buzzing. The U-15s were the talk of the academy. It was an interesting title challenge race in U-15s after a while.
News articles started floating around.
"Schalke's Mehra emerges as surprise engine in title charge."
"Schalke's two prodigies- Leon and Vihaan. Who are they!?"
"Title decider to pit midfield metronome Vihaan against prodigy Becker."
Vihaan turned down every interview.
At dinner one night, Anya whispered, "You're going to win, right?"
He smiled. "We'll try."
She hesitated. "If you win… will you still play with me sometimes?"
Vihaan paused. Then leaned down and ruffled her hair.
"Always."
Arjun was quiet that night. He didn't say it, but Vihaan could feel it — respect.
Their father brought out his old India football jersey from his college days and folded it next to Vihaan's kit on the bed.
"My gift for you. Make us all proud." he said. "The world may not believe in you right now. But we do."
One Day Before the Final – Schalke vs Dortmund
Vihaan sat alone in his room.
The boots were clean. The jersey ironed. His mind — not so much.
The system opened quietly in the background, no flashy alerts, just a new quest quietly sitting in the list:
[System Quest – Final Battle: U-15 League Decider]
Objective: Help Schalke beat Dortmund U-15 and finish top of the league.
Bonus: Earn rating above 8.5. Direct goal contribution.
Rewards: +200 SP | +8 Stat Points | New Trait Opportunity.
He closed it. Didn't need it.
Outside, the sky rumbled softly. Thunder in the distance.
Tomorrow would be war.