The sky over Santos was blistering blue — no clouds, no cover, just sun and expectation. Jemil sat in the changing room, Neymar's jersey clinging to his skin like prophecy.
Around him, the youth players of Santos FC prepared like it was just another match.
But for him?
This was war.
The fluorescent lights above hummed. His legs jittered with anticipation. The voice in his head — calm but unrelenting — kept reminding him:
"This is not your life to relive. It's your life to rewrite."
The GOAT System had given him a second chance. Not as Jemil, the unknown Lagos street baller. But as Neymar da Silva Jr., Brazil's golden boy.
And the first challenge was today: a youth academy trial match attended by Brazilian scouts and a Real Madrid liaison.
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]
Mission: "Rewrite the Legend"
Match Objective: Outperform Neymar's original debut
Bonus Objective: Create a highlight-worthy moment (+ viral chance)
Rewards: 2 Skill Points, 1 Trait Unlock, 10% Legacy Divergence
"Oi, Neymar!" one of the teammates jeered. "You gonna dance or actually play football today?"
Jemil didn't answer. Instead, he stood and pulled the armband tight around his left bicep. His fingers trembled.
Not with fear — with potential.
He walked out of the tunnel.
The stadium wasn't packed. Just scouts, coaches, maybe fifty onlookers.
But the pressure? World Cup-sized.
Kickoff
The ball rolled to him within the first two minutes. A careless square pass.
Perfect.
Jemil turned with the grace of a panther, taking the ball in stride, eyes scanning — predator mode. A defender rushed him.
Wrong move.
He let the ball roll too far on purpose, baiting the challenge. The second the defender lunged, Jemil tapped it behind his standing leg and scooped it forward.
The crowd stirred.
The GOAT System responded:
[SKILL CHAIN: "Flair Activation"]
Bonus: +5 Audience Impact
Dribble Rating +2
Combo Counter: 1/3
A second player came in with a slide.
Jemil shifted the ball mid-air with a jump — touch, flip, land. Nutmeg.
Combo: 2/3.
Now the third: a bulky center-back, already angling his shoulder.
Jemil didn't stop.
He accelerated. One step, two, then launched the ball over the man's shoulder — rainbow flick — and ran around the other side like something out of anime.
The ball dropped, and he met it mid-air with a left-footed volley.
BOOM.
Top corner. Net shook.
For one breath, the pitch froze.
Then: applause. Shouts. Scouts scribbling notes.
[GOAL: SYSTEM SUCCESS]
Objective 1 Complete
Flair +3
Highlight Triggered — "Upload Viral Reel?" (Y/N)
He turned back without celebration. Just a glance to the sky.
"That one was for the old me."
Second Half: Game Tied, 2–2
Sweat ran down his face. Legs ached. But adrenaline made him feel immortal.
A sloppy back-pass fell to him in midfield.
3 defenders closed in.
The old Neymar might've played the simple pass.
Jemil didn't.
He baited one with a stop-start. Sent the second flying with a double feint. And as the third stood tall, reading him, Jemil did something no one saw coming:
He flicked the ball up and launched a bicycle kick assist — sideways — to the striker on the left.
One-touch shot. Net. Game-winner.
[FINAL STATS]
Match Rating: 9.2
Key Moments: 3
Crowd Impact: +15
Trait Unlocked: Clutch Instinct
Progress Toward Legacy Divergence: 14%
New Pathway Opened: "The Villain Arc"
The final whistle blew.
Jemil collapsed onto the grass, breathing hard. The sun above him looked brighter now. Or maybe it was just his future starting to shine.
From the stands, a man in a black jacket tapped his phone.
"He's not Neymar anymore," the agent said. "We need to pull him out of Brazil before someone else does."
As Jemil sat on the bench post-match, sweat soaking through his kit, one of the substitutes scrolled through his phone and froze.
"Bro… you're trending."
Jemil looked up, blinking.
"What?"
The guy turned the screen around.
On it, a clip of the rainbow flick → volley goal had already hit 90,000 views on TikTok. A watermark read: "@SantosScoutTV".
Twitter/X was worse.
🐦 @MadridTalks
"Who is this Neymar? Man's playing like a PS5 glitch. Real Madrid, you watching?"
🐦 @ESPNBrasil
"BREAKING: Neymar Jr.'s youth debut clip hits 1M views in 4 hours. Old footage or… something new?"
🐦 @FootyLeaks
"Unconfirmed: Neymar has no memory of his recent hospital stay. Rumors of strange behavior & private training at 2am."
Jemil didn't even know he was being filmed.
The internet had just discovered him — and it was losing its mind.
[CLIFFHANGER ENDING]
Later that night, Jemil opened his system log.
A new notification blinked:
"Legacy Path Unlocked: Real Madrid Transfer Offer — 6 Months Early."
And just beneath it:
Warning: Choosing this path will create a direct rivalry with Lionel Messi.
Accept Offer?
[Y/N]