Reborn As An Evolving Monster

Chapter 351 Hope Shrouded In Darkness

Mom, Dad. Do you think I will be able to play next week?

It'll depend on how it goes with the doctor?

I can never tell how it is. How the appointment went.

Maybe because they usually don't go very well. That's why I can't play, right?

Since I haven't played with them once, I guess no appointment has gone well for now.

But maybe this one, right? Maybe the next one.

Mom. Why do you look so sad?

Dad. Why do you look so frustrated?

Did I do something wrong?

Should I stop asking about it? But I want to play with... Did I do something wrong?

Mom. Why are you apologizing? 

***

It's been ten weeks now.

There are only two weeks of football left. After that, we will switch to another sport. They... Will switch.

Mom said that the doctor told her that I won't be able to play.

Apparently, my heart is weak or something. I don't really understand what that means. They just won't let me play. Mom looked really sad when telling me. I wonder if it's my fault. I don't think I've done anything wrong though...

Dad said the same thing. He apologized too. I can't figure out what they're apologizing for. Their words keep spinning in my head. I can't figure it out.

Apparently, the doctor doesn't expect that I will be playing next week. Or the week after that.

We were going to the doctor weekly. But, apparently, that's not what we were supposed to do. We were going more often than we were supposed to.

I think that Dad and Mom wanted to check with the doctor more than he wanted to check. They were pestering him... Maybe? I don't like going to the doctor anyways. It doesn't help. I hate going there. I always get my hopes up for nothing. It would be better to just not go. 

Anyways.

That's not what I want to be thinking about now!

I was to watch the match!

But I won't be able to... No, I will be. One day. How? If the doctor says... If Mom and Dad say... One day?

***

"23. We can play matches 12 versus 11?" The PE teacher asked once more.

Immediately, all eyes turned towards her but,

"What are you looking at?" Ley sneered.

Instantly, the eyes turned back towards the PE teacher, which surprised her a lot.

The worst player had refused to leave. And so,

"I'll... I don't feel so well, I'll go sit."

The second worst weakly stood up and walked away.

Whistle-

Whistle-

Whistle-

Amazing! They're all playing so well! They're all playing way better than at the beginning! They got so much better!

I wish I could get better too-

It's so close! Everyone is running so fast! Everyone keeps moving up and down the... Not Ley? She never crossed the center line... Ley! Go back! You have to defend, or they'll score! Huh... I don't get it. Everyone defends and attacks. Everyone moves up and down. Why aren't you? And why do you look more tired than them? Oh. It's because you've been running more than them. How come?

Each side scored three times. Amazing! They score way less than before, but they play way better. Interesting. Because they also get better at not letting the other score! 

Whistle-

It's about to end! It's still 3-3! No way! Is it going to be the first draw? Ley, do something! I wish I could play next week... With me, it would definitely not end as a draw. Wait, Mia is running. Go! She's going past all of them.

...

'I haven't... Been able to do anything.' An exhausted Ley thought as she fought to hold back her tears.

They had shouted at her a lot.

Go there-

Do this-

Do that-

Why can't you do anything right-

She did her best not to listen to them. She did her best not to let it get to her. She had a game plan, you see. She did her best to remember what her brother had helped her with over the course of the whooole week.

It's either going to be super cool, or super lame-

I don't want it to be super lame-

Don't worry, it'll go well. If you get lucky-

'Mia is running... There's no one. Elliott! Should I follow Mia? Should I stay behind to stop Eliott from scoring? Should I...?'

As Mia approached the goal area, with Eliott standing in her way, Ley remembered her brother's words.

Despite being exhausted, she ran as fast as she could.

From the sidelines, a young Mark thought she looked very cool. She hadn't done much. She had barely touched the ball. Yet, there were times when he could get excited. Times when his eyes would suddenly move towards her, as if she was about to do something. What was she trying to do? He couldn't tell. But he could feel something.

3-3

The time to score was now.

Mia was running. So was Eliott and Ley.

If Eliott takes the ball now, it's over.

Ley suddenly appears that Mia's right.

'If she passes to Ley, it's over.' Is what everything would have thought, had they even a bit of trust in Ley's capacity.

3-3

3-3

The one who scores now...

The closest match compared to any other counting from the beginning of the school year.

The one who scores now, the team that wins now, will get unlimited bragging rights!

Despite Eliott standing in her way, Mia prepares to shoot! The bragging rights will be hers!

Instantly, shivers made the hairs on Mark's arms stand up.

'Why is Ley... Running faster now?'

Mia shoots!

Eliott blocks!

The ball rises in the air, and Mark can see it!

He can see it!

He can!

As the ball is rising in the air, he can see its trajectory!

He can see when it's going to start falling!

He can see how high it will get before it starts falling!

He can see the speed at which it will fall!

He can see where it will fall!

Mark can see it all!

His back straightens!

His heart starts beating faster!

How long had she been running that way? How long had she been playing, waiting for such a moment? 

A vision appears in Mark's mind.

'Do it!'

His heart starts beating faster than ever.

The one who was always on the bench! The one who couldn't play! The one who just last week was complaining about it!

The one that's just like me! The one who used to sit next to me! The same as me!

Do it!

The way the ball is falling, the way it's going... I can see it! Do it! Show me that... I can-

It appeared in Mark's mind. A vision of what was about to happen. What could happen. 

His heart beat so fast!

He was so excited!

But when came to time to see it,

'What... What is...?'

Dark spots suddenly appeared.

Dark spots clouded his vision.

'No! I... I can't see... I want to see it!'

The child clenched his teeth. 

The child fought against it.

But eventually, the dark spots multiplied and grew in size so much that everything disappeared.

Everything had disappeared.

In front of the child, darkness.

His heart had never beat faster.

'No! I want to see it!'

The child shouted internally, lacking the energy to do so externally.

Darkness.

The child couldn't tell whether his eyes were open or closed.

The child didn't care. All he cared about, was seeing her! Seeing her do it! Seeing her, who was just like him, do it!

Because maybe... Maybe if she could... If she could... Then maybe...

But it didn't go back.

The darkness didn't disappear.

The child screamed cried and shouted.

But none could hear his screams.

***

'Just like... Frank said.' Ley thought to herself as she ran.

Mia shot the ball, it hit Eliot's leg and was launched upwards.

Now is the time, Ley!

Do it! 

You've been training all week!

Do it!

Ley took a step to right, adjusting her position slightly.

'I get scared when the ball is shot. When it's shot at me. I get scared when they raise their legs, about to shoot. I get scared when the ball comes towards me. But now, I'm not scared...' Ley thought to herself as the ball started its descent. 'When the ball comes from above, I'm... not scared at all. The ball coming from above... That's a real pass.'

Her eyes burned with determination.

Why?

Because her idiot brother had been pestering her all week. He had even forced her to start reading a certain manga about football. Ley hated Mangas. She, by far, would have rathered watching Cartoons. She hated Mangas. But this one was the first she ever tried reading. 

'A ball from above... Like a set... In a volleyball. I think...'

She raised her leg.

'I think I can hit this one well.'

Kick-

Whistle- Whistle- Whistle-

Ley would grow to love both football and Manga.

"Huh? You actually pulled it off?" Her brother would later question, dumbfounded. "No way, I call cap."

She also grew closer to her brother who, nevertheless, wouldn't stop pestering her.