The 90th Minute

Chapter 2: The Impossible Pass

Jayson stood face-to-face with the defender. Rain rolled down his forehead as the crowd was still roaring. The defender lowered his stance.

"You're not getting past me this time."

Jayson smirked.

"Who said I was trying to?"

The defender blinked

THUMP

Jayson suddenly felt it again. That strange sensation. The same one from a few seconds ago. The stadium seemed to become quieter. Not completely silent. Just... distant. He could hear his heartbeat.

Thump.

His teammate was somewhere behind him.

Thump.

The defender shifted his weight onto his right foot, and Jayson suddenly knew exactly where he was going to move. Left

The defender hadn't moved yet, but Jayson already knew. He pushed the ball left. The defender reacted. Exactly as Jayson expected. Jayson immediately cut right, The defender stumbled.

The crowd erupted.

"OOOOOOOOHHHH!"

Jayson sprinted forward.

"How did I know that?"

He didn't have time to think. Another defender appeared. Then another, Three players surrounded him. His teammates were running into position. Jayson looked up. There was a tiny gap between two defenders. His teammate, Malik, was running toward it. Jayson hadn't planned the pass. He didn't even know if it was possible. But something inside him whispered:

Now.

He kicked.

THWACK!

The ball flew between the defenders and Malik received it perfectly. He stopped for half a second. His eyes widened.

"How did you—?"

"SHOOT!"

Malik struck the ball and the goalkeeper dived but the ball smashed against the post. The stadium groaned.

"NOOOOO!"

Malik grabbed his head. Jayson stared at the ball rolling away. So close.

Then—

BEEP!

The scoreboard changed.

73:26

Jayson looked up. For just a fraction of a second, the numbers on the scoreboard distorted.

73:26 became 90:00

His breath caught. Then it returned to normal.

"What... was that?"

"MAX!"

He turned. His coach was shouting from the sideline.

"STOP STARING AND GET BACK!"

Jayson nodded and ran. But someone else had noticed.

Across the field, the opposing captain stood completely still.

He was staring directly at Jayson. Desmond.

And unlike everyone else...Desmond wasn't looking at the ball. He was looking at Jayson. A slow smile appeared on his face.

"So..."

He wiped the rain from his eyes.

"You've finally awakened."

73:41

Jayson didn't hear him. He was already running back toward the midfield. He didn't know who Desmond was talking about. He didn't know what was happening to him, and he certainly didn't know why, whenever he touched the ball...the future seemed to move before he did but one thing was certain, The semifinal had just become something much more than a football match.