The night before the state championship, Javier dreamed he was alone on the court.
No teammates. No coaches. No fans. Just him, the net, and a faceless figure on the other side. The figure served. The ball screamed toward Javier's face. He tried to move, but his feet were stuck. The ball hit him. Again. Again. Again.
He woke up gasping, his sheets soaked with sweat. The clock on his nightstand read 3:47 AM.
He sat up, his heart pounding, his hands shaking. The dream had been different this time. No Derek. No Marcus Webb. Just a faceless opponent. And Javier couldn't move.
He reached for his phone. A text from Leo, sent at 3:30 AM: “Can't sleep. You?”
Javier typed back: “Same dream. Different face.”
Leo: “It's just a dream. It's not real.”
Javier: “It feels real.”
Leo: “Fear feels r
