Chapter Five: They Need Me to Fall Behind

The golden path changed, running from Lin to Kane, then from Kane's fingers to empty turf six yards away. “Activate Route Preview.” Three future seconds flooded Lin's mind: the closing bracket, the first deflection, the bounce, the only arrival point. Lin abandoned his route as Eli released the pass and slipped backward between three defenders. When Kane touched the ball, Lin was already sprinting toward its fall. He dived six yards, lifted the point with his left palm before it struck grass, and trapped it against his chest. First down. [ROUTE PREVIEW COMPLETE.] [DEDUCTION: NEURAL RECOVERY EFFICIENCY.] [PROJECTED EFFECT: FATIGUE CLEARANCE REDUCED 31%.] His body suddenly felt filled with lead.