Will stepped out of the time capsule feeling the familiar pull as the white space around him dissolved completely. He found himself back in the backyard of the family home on Keswick Road, the grass still slightly damp from the earlier evening air and the faint smell of cut turf hanging around him.

His legs felt heavy after the full ten hours of intense simulated match play inside Old Trafford, every muscle protesting from the constant running, turning, and decision making against those faceless shadow players. The mental strain was there too, the way he had forced himself to slow the game down and orchestrate from the number ten position instead of rushing forward like he used to. But he knew exactly how to handle it now.

"System, one 100 percent recovery potion," he said quietly into the night air.

The familiar ding sounded in his head right away. A small vial materialized in his right hand, glowing with that soft blue light he had come to recognize. He unscrewed the cap and drank the contents in one smooth motion. The liquid tasted faintly sweet and cool as it went down.

Almost immediately the deep fatigue started melting away from his body. His calves stopped burning, the tightness in his shoulders eased off, and his mind cleared up like someone had wiped fog from a window. It felt exactly like waking up from a full night’s rest after a perfect sleep. He stretched his arms overhead, rolled his neck a few times, and took a deep breath of the cool Middlesbrough air before heading inside the house through the back door.

The kitchen light was still on even though it was getting late. His mum was sitting at the table with a cup of tea, reading something on her phone. She looked up when he walked in and gave him that knowing smile she always had when she could tell he had been training hard again.

"Still at it this late?" she asked.

"Yeah, just finishing up," Will replied as he grabbed a glass of water from the sink. "Everything feels good though."

She nodded without pressing too much. Sandra Smithson had learned over the years not to dig too deep into the details when he came back from these sessions looking focused. Will finished the water and headed upstairs to shower. The hot water helped even more after the potion, washing away the last bits of imaginary sweat from the capsule. When he finally lay down on his bed he checked his stats quickly through the system. The rating had ticked up a little from all the deliberate practice. He closed his eyes feeling satisfied. Tomorrow was the dinner with Chloe and he wanted to be fully present for it.

The following evening came around quickly. Will arrived at the Italian restaurant on Linthorpe Road a few minutes early like he always did. He stood outside with his hands in his pockets, watching cars pass by and people heading home from work. The place had a warm glow coming from the windows and the smell of fresh pizza and herbs drifted out whenever someone opened the door. Chloe showed up right on time, her dark hair down around her shoulders and wearing a simple dark green jumper over jeans. She spotted him immediately and her face lit up with that smile that made the corners of her eyes crinkle.

"Hey Will," she said as she walked up. "Hope I didn’t keep you waiting."

"Not at all," he answered, returning the smile. "You look nice tonight."

They went inside together and the waiter found them a quiet table near the window that overlooked the street. The lighting inside was warm and soft, the kind that made everything feel relaxed. They ordered pasta dishes, some garlic bread to share, and drinks. While they waited Chloe asked him about the recent training sessions and how things were feeling at the academy now that he was getting more consistent minutes in the friendlies.

Will told her about the extra work he had been putting in, the way David was starting to trust him more in the tactical setups, and how the team was beginning to respond to his passes. He kept the system and the time capsule to himself of course, but he described the feeling of things finally clicking into place on the pitch. Chloe listened carefully, nodding along and asking questions that showed she was genuinely interested.

"It sounds like things are finally turning around for you," she said at one point, twirling some pasta onto her fork after their food arrived. "I remember when we first talked on the pitch that morning. You seemed like you were carrying the weight of the world."

"Yeah," Will replied, taking a sip of his drink. "Feels that way. I was close to being out of it all not long ago. Sitting on that second pitch in the rain thinking it was over. Now it seems like every single day I’m getting a bit better, a bit sharper. The work is paying off." 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

They kept talking easily for nearly two hours. Chloe shared more about her journalism assignment and how the article on youth footballers was shaping up. She laughed softly when she told him that his story was giving her some of the best material she had collected so far. The early morning training, the near release, the way he kept showing up even when things looked bad. Will paid the bill when it came despite her protests and they stepped back out into the cool evening air together.

He walked her to the bus stop a few streets away. They stood there for a while under the streetlights that cast long shadows across the pavement. The conversation slowed down into comfortable silences broken by small comments about the match coming up and her project. When the bus finally arrived she turned to him.

"Thanks for tonight," Chloe said. "I had a really good time."

"Me too," Will replied. "We should do it again soon."

She nodded and gave him a quick hug before stepping onto the bus. Will watched it pull away down the road until the taillights disappeared around the corner. His phone buzzed a few minutes later with a text from her letting him know she got back safe. He smiled to himself and replied before pocketing the phone.

The walk home felt lighter than usual. Back at the house he did some light stretching in the backyard to loosen up any remaining stiffness and used another recovery potion just to be completely safe after the heavy capsule session earlier. His stats had ticked up slightly again from the consistent work. He felt ready for whatever the coming week would bring, both on and off the pitch.

A/N:

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