Episode 41: The Rules Have Changed
Jaden stepped onto the pitch the morning after Ethan's cut, and everything felt… off.
The usual energy was gone. Silence hung in the air like fog.
No one said Ethan's name. But everyone felt it.
Because if a player like Ethan could be eliminated—what did that mean for the rest of them?
Jaden looked around. Eyes were sharper now. Distrust lingered.
Even teammates stood farther apart.
Iron Stride had changed.
And so had the rules.
Coach Vance's New Order
Coach Vance stepped out with a clipboard in hand, looking over the remaining players.
"There are no more safe zones," he said, voice colder than ever. "No more favorites. No more top prospects."
He glanced up. "You're all on the chopping block now."
Leo muttered under his breath, "As if we weren't before."
Jaden kept his jaw tight. He had already seen behind the curtain.
What Vance wasn't saying was this: The academy was now fully under the control of the people behind Felix Ward.
And Jaden was standing in their way.