The Eternal Bound - Chapter 5: The Academy

“A cheat system? Do you take me for a fool? Nowadays, where can you find such a good thing falling into your lap? Scram from my head. Is this is new kind of fraud? Or is this a murderer training system of aliens that contains the ability of hypnotism?”

“No, I am the chaos that whispers from nothingness, the nightmare of all living beings in the Southern Ten Stars, the successor of the unparalleled God and… your elder sister.”

“…I only have a younger sister, I don’t have an elder sister!”

“No, you have one. I am an illegitimate daughter. It’s just that your dad didn’t inform you.”

- Description from Novelupdates

Eric Maddox, a 70-year-old American retired football coach once hailed for his tactical brilliance, now forgotten by time—closes his eyes for what he believes is a normal nap in his quiet Florida retirement home.But when he opens them, he's not staring at ceiling tiles, instead, he's on a touchline.Wearing boots in the rain.With players running on the pitch, fans jeering behind barriers, and the smell of cheap turf pellets in the air.“What the hell is this?”He’s twenty-five again, but it’s not Earth. It’s a world where football reigns supreme. A world where the sport is religion, its practitioners, deities in cleats. Coaches are revered, players are worshipped, and even the kit man gets treated like royalty.But there's one catch: none of it is familiar. The clubs, the players, the leagues, the competitions, and even the currency—they're all different. Alien. Like waking up in a dream where the rules are the same, but the language is foreign.As if that wasn’t enough, the body he’s now in? A youth coach with a laughable win record, a looming divorce, and a measly fifty thousand in the bank that his ex-wife is fighting tooth and nail to take. All of it.Just when the spiral seems inevitable, a monotone chime pierces the noise.[Initiating Golden Finger…][…45%… 75%… 100%][System Integration Complete.][Welcome, host. You are now bound to the Pro Manager System. Objective: Dominate the Football World. A new era begins]From washed-up has-been to chosen one of destiny, Eric Maddox is about to trade arthritis pills for tactical boards, and shuffleboard for Prestigious Cup glory.Because in this world, tactics are power.And on this touchline, he’s about to become a god.

The story is about a man who’s opposed to the now-common practice of implanting false memories, but is one day given memories of a fictional childhood friend. This fabricated happiness torments him, but then, to his surprise, he meets her – a girl who shouldn’t exist.

“Get your filthy hands off my wife!” Ford’s commanding voice boomed through the room.Mrs. Johnson, stunned, released Elena’s wrist immediately.Ford stepped forward, his eyes sharp and unyielding. “I chose her. I need her. She’s mine. Don’t ever think you have a right over her again. Consider this your only warning—to you and your daughter.”Taking Elena’s trembling hand in his, Ford led her away. His grip was firm yet reassuring, and for the first time in years, Elena felt protected.Sitting in the car, tears rolled down her cheeks. She couldn’t believe someone had stood up for her. Then, as her emotions overwhelmed her, Ford gently turned her face toward him kissing her with passion gradually Elena melted to his touch breaking her walls for the only man who stood by her.For a fleeting moment, Elena felt hope.What happens When Ford learns of Elena’s hidden son.As their love shatters after finding Elena’s Secret, he sends her packing.What happens when Ford finds out that the child born was from a mistake he made years ago while drunk.Will he be able to gain back Elena’s love?Would Elena find it in her heart to forgive?