Chapter One: Second Chance

Then came the realization... his room. He jolted upright, heart hammering in his chest. The bed beneath him was too small, the sheets thin and worn. He looked around, and confusion flooded his mind.

Abilo jumped out of bed and stood in the middle of the room, breathing hard, trying to make sense of what was happening. His hands trembled as he reached for the mirror hanging loosely on the wall. The reflection staring back at him made his breath catch.

A boy, lean, with dark curly hair that hung just above his eyes... stared back at him. His tan skin looked more youthful than it had in years, and his face, though familiar, lacked the scars and lines that life had etched into it. But the most striking feature of all were his eyes: one golden, the other icy blue.

Abilo stared into the mirror, his breath uneven, his heart pounding with disbelief. His reflection showed what he could barely process... one eye gleamed a radiant gold (light brown), the other a frigid, piercing blue. This wasn't the boy he remembered. But it was him. In this new reality, in this new chance at life, his eyes had changed.

He stepped back, glancing around his cramped room, small enough to barely contain his dreams, but filled with traces of his passion. Football posters of Brazilian legends: Pelé, Zico, Ronaldo, and Ronaldinho... covered the peeling wallpaper. His worn-out football cleats sat by the door, a testament to the hundreds of street matches that had carved his path. His room was a shrine to the life he had once longed for.

Before he could process it all, a voice rumbled deep within his mind.

"Abilo," it boomed, familiar yet distant. The God who had given him this second chance spoke again. "Your eyes are gifts. You have been chosen to reshape your story."

Abilo's legs felt weak, his mind reeling. "What…what did you do to me?"

The God's voice vibrated through his very being. "Your golden eye allows you to copy any skill you witness, so long as your body can endure it. It sharpens your memory, enables perfect recall, and grants you the power to see beyond what others can... potential, intent, and morality. Your blue eye enhances your perception. You will see the future in fragments, process information faster than any mortal. Use them wisely, for your destiny is yours to write."

As the voice faded, Abilo felt the weight of this gift settle on him like a cloak. His eyes shimmered once more, a reminder that this was no dream.

A knock broke through his thoughts. "Abilo, are you talking to someone?" It was his mother, Maria, her voice soft and worried.

His breath caught in his throat. He knew that voice. The warmth in it, the slight impatience as she tried to rouse him from sleep—it was a voice he hadn't heard in years, one that had once brought him so much comfort.

He wiped his eyes and turned to the door. "No, mãe. Just…thinking."

Maria stepped in, her tired eyes scanning him. She looked just as she did in his memories... her warmth a contrast to the weariness that life had placed upon her. In his last life, she had been taken too soon, stolen by cancer.

Before he could stop himself, Abilo pulled her into a hug, holding on tighter than he ever had before. "I missed you," he whispered, his voice thick with emotion.

She chuckled softly, though confusion danced in her eyes. "I'm right here, meu filho. Are you alright?"

"I will be," he promised, a determination settling in his chest. He wouldn't let her slip away this time.

But now, inexplicably, he was twelve years old again. What the hell happened? The world spun around him, and Abilo grabbed the edge of his bed for support. The weight of the revelation bore down on him like a suffocating blanket. Was this some kind of twisted dream?

And then he remembered the voice.

"I'm giving you a second chance. Don't waste it."

It had been deep, booming, and not entirely human. Abilo hadn't known whether to be scared or grateful at the time, but now... standing in his old room, there was no denying the truth. He had been sent back.

A second chance. A chance to change everything.

His heart raced as the implications sunk in. His mother. His football career. His entire future. He could save it all. This time, he wouldn't make the same mistakes. This time, he had to be smarter, better, and faster.

Abilo slowly walks out of his room trying to process things little by little, taking in everything he once remembered rushing back in as nostalgia hits. He goes to the kitchen where he sees his mother cooking, a sight he misses so dearly and have not experienced in years, and there she was...

She was standing at the stove, her back to him, humming a soft tune under her breath as she stirred something in a pot. Her dark hair, tied up in a loose bun, and the floral apron she always wore while cooking... it was all exactly as he remembered.

"Mãe," he whispered again, louder this time, barely able to contain the tremble in his voice.

She turned, smiling at him. "There you are! Come on, you're going to be late! I made your favorite... pao de queijo (bread and cheese)!"

Her eyes were full of life, her smile warm and loving. Abilo stood frozen, unable to move, unable to speak. The sight of her... the woman he had lost, the woman who had shaped his entire life... was too much. He wanted to run to her, to hug her and never let go ever again. He wanted to cry, to tell her everything he couldn't have before, but he couldn't. Not yet.

"Mãe…" His voice cracked but he forced himself to smile, swallowing the words in his throat. "I… I'm just happy to see you."

She gave him a puzzled look, then chuckled softly. "Well, aren't you sweet today! You must've had a good dream. Now come eat before it gets cold."

Abilo nodded, still unable to believe she was standing right in front of him. He sat down at the kitchen table, watching her as she moved around the kitchen.

Breakfast was loud and lively, just as he remembered. His father, Marco, sat at the table, flipping through the newspaper, his face set in its usual lines of quiet concentration. Abilo's younger sisters, Lúcia and Sofia, chatted excitedly, their words overlapping as they ate. The scene was so familiar, so ordinary, and yet it filled Abilo with a warmth he hadn't felt in years.

Everything was so familiar, yet so surreal. The way his mothee hummed as she worked, the clink of plates and utensils... his sisters bickering and his father's rough face that showed resilience and determination... he had forgotten how much he had missed these small, ordinary moments.

For the first time in years, Abilo felt hope stirring inside him. He was back. His mother was alive. And this time, he would do whatever it took to save her. He couldn't help but smile. His family, alive and together. This time, I'll protect them all.

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The Walk to School

The morning passed quickly, and soon Abilo found himself walking with his sisters toward school. As Abilo left the house and walked down the narrow, uneven street, his mind buzzed with a thousand thoughts. The narrow streets of Rocinha, Brazil's largest favela, were alive with the sounds of everyday life. The air buzzed with the chatter of street vendors, children's laughter, and the distant hum of traffic. The sun beat down on the uneven cobblestones, but Abilo hardly noticed. The world around him seemed to shimmer with a strange mix of nostalgia and newness. He recognized every corner, every crack in the pavement, every shop along the way. But his mind was elsewhere... there was a distance now, a separation between the boy he used to be and the man he had become.

The air smelled different... fresher, cleaner. He could hear the distant sound of children playing and neighbors chatting in the street. It felt like stepping into a memory, but this was no dream. This was real.

Beside him, his sisters babbled about school, but he only half-listened. His thoughts kept drifting back to his eyes... their strange colors, his eyes used to be brown but in this reality... it's different. The powers they granted him. What would this second chance at life bring?

He clenched his fists, feeling the weight of the responsibility on his shoulders. His broken dreams alongside his crippled legs that broke off his chances and relationships, and furthermore his mother's death in the future had been like a knife to his heart, a wound that had never healed as it left him and his family broken for years... But now he had a second chance to stop it. To change everything.

The thought filled him with both fear and determination. He couldn't afford to mess up again.

As he passed by the local football field, Abilo slowed down, his eyes drawn to the dusty patch of grass where he and his friends used to play. His heart swelled with the familiar pull of the game. Football had always been his escape, his dream. And in his past life, that dream had slipped through his fingers, lost to bad decisions and missed opportunities.

Not this time.

He had to be smarter, better, and faster than anyone else. His eyes, now imbued with powers he didn't fully understand, would give him an edge. The golden eye would allow him to analyze and mimic the skills of other players, while the icy blue one would let him predict movements on the field before they even happened. With these abilities, he could become unstoppable.

But first, he must master them.

A voice called out to him, breaking his concentration.

"Yo, Abilo! Wait up!"

He turned to see Mateus, his best friend, jogging toward him with a grin plastered on his face. Mateus was a bit shorter than Abilo, with curly hair and an easygoing smile that never seemed to fade. In their previous life, Mateus had been there through it all, through the highs and lows of Abilo's football journey, and through the pain of losing it all.

The sight of him brought an unexpected ache to Abilo's chest. Mateus had been there through it all: the good and the bad... and seeing him like this, young and carefree, stirred up memories of their friendship, and all the times he had leaned on Mateus for support.

"Where's your head at today?" Mateus asked, playfully nudging him in the side as they continued walking together. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

Abilo forced a smile, his thoughts still spinning. "Yeah, something like that..."

Mateus chuckled. "Well, you'd better snap out of it. We've got a game after school, remember? You've been slacking lately, man. Gotta show these guys what we're made of."

Abilo's stomach tightened at the mention of slacking. It was a word that had followed him through the years, a constant reminder of the potential he had wasted. But not this time. He wasn't going to let that happen again. "I-"

Before Abilo could answer, another voice joined them. "You better not be planning to skip class again!"

It was Camila, her dark hair pulled back in a braid, her arms crossed over her chest. She was taller than most girls her age, with a graceful and confident posture. Dark brown, almost black straight hair that she wears in a long braid. Light brown skin and striking green eyes that stand out, giving her a bit of an enigmatic look. She was the third part of their trio, sharp-tongued, fierce, and protective. She had always been the voice of reason between Abilo and Mateus, reigning them in when their adventures went too far. In his last life, she had been more than a friend, though he had never fully realized it until it was too late.

Abilo smiled at them both, grateful that they were here, that he had this chance to relive these moments. "Just…thinking about some things. A lot's on my mind right now..."

Mateus nudged him. "Whatever it is, just don't forget we've got a game during break. I don't want you bailing on us."

Camila rolled her eyes but smiled. "I swear, it's like all you two ever think about is football."

"I'm ready," Abilo said firmly, surprising himself with the intensity in his voice.

Mateus raised an eyebrow, then grinned. "Whoa, okay. Someone's serious today. Did you finally eat some real food or what?"

Abilo laughed, the sound unfamiliar in his own ears. It felt good, though, to fall back into the easy rhythm of their banter. Even if everything had changed for him, Mateus was still the same. The same friend who always had his back.

As they walked, Abilo's mind drifted to the upcoming game. He could feel his heart racing with anticipation. The thought of stepping onto the field again filled him with a renewed sense of purpose. This was his first chance to test his new abilities, to see what he was truly capable of.

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School Unease

The school day dragged on painfully slow. Abilo tried to focus in class, but his mind was miles away, replaying the events of the morning and the possibilities that lay ahead. He couldn't stop thinking about his mother, about football, and about the second chance he had been given.

He jotted down notes absent mindedly as the teacher droned on about math, but none of it registered. His notebook, once filled with the scattered doodles and messy handwriting of a 12-year-old boy, was now being filled with plans, strategies, and lists. Lists of what he needed to do, what he needed to change:

- Train every day

- Save money

- Find a way to help Mom!

- Get noticed by scouts

- Escape poverty!

The lists grew longer as the hours ticked by, but every time he looked at the final goal... Save Mom... he felt a sharp pain of anxiety in his chest. How was he supposed to do that? What could he possibly do to prevent the illness that had taken her life? He was just a kid again, living in the same poor neighborhood, facing the same challenges.

But there was one thing he knew for certain: he had powers now. His eyes weren't just a strange quirk... they were his tools, his weapons. He could see things others couldn't, and if he used them right, he could change everything.

When the final bell rang, Abilo bolted from his seat, eager to head to the football field. He found Mateus waiting for him outside, juggling a ball between his feet, looking as carefree as ever.

"You ready?" Mateus asked with a grin.

"More than ready!" Abilo replied, a fierce determination burning in his mismatched eyes.

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The Match

The dusty, uneven field stretched out before them, surrounded by other boys from their school, ready for a game of pickup football. The sun hung low in the sky, casting long shadows across the ground. Abilo's heart pounded in his chest as he stepped onto the field, the familiar smell of dirt and grass filling his nostrils.

Mateus nudged him with his elbow. "You nervous or something?"

Abilo shook his head. "No... Just focused."

The truth was, he wasn't nervous... he was anxious to test his abilities. His golden eye and icy blue eye hadn't fully revealed their potential yet, but he could feel them humming with energy just beneath the surface.

The game began, and immediately, Abilo felt a difference. Everything was sharper, clearer. The movements of the other players unfolded in slow motion before his eyes. He could see their tells, predict their next moves. It was as if the game had become a puzzle, and he was solving it in real-time.

He stole the ball from an opposing player with ease, darting past them with a speed and agility he hadn't known he possessed. His feet moved almost on their own, guided by a deeper instinct. Every pass, every dribble was precise, calculated.

Mateus noticed too. "Whoa, what's gotten into you, man? You're on fire today!"

Abilo stood there, catching his breath, the thrill of the moment coursing through him. I did that…with these eyes.

But the cheers quickly gave way to murmurs as a group of older boys approached. At the front was Rafael, the school's star football player, and not someone known for sharing the spotlight. His eyes narrowed as he glared at Abilo.

"You think you're hot stuff now, huh?" Rafael sneered, stepping forward. "Let's see if you can pull that against someone who knows what they're doing."

The crowd hushed, sensing the tension in the air. Mateus frowned, stepping up beside Abilo. "Hey, leave it alone, man."

But Abilo didn't back down. He could see the challenge in Rafael's eyes. I can take him. His golden eye flickered again, his vision sharpening as he sized Rafael up.

Abilo grinned, feeling the adrenaline surge through him. He was just getting started. As the game progressed, he began to push himself further, testing the limits of his new powers. His golden eye allowed him to mimic the moves of the best players on the field, while his icy blue eye gave him an almost supernatural sense of anticipation.

The match resumed, but it wasn't long before Rafael came charging at him. Abilo saw the move before it even happened. Time slowed. He sidestepped, and Rafael stumbled past him. With a deft flick of his foot, Abilo sent the ball flying into the net again.

The crowd erupted, but Rafael wasn't about to be humiliated. Furious, he lunged at Abilo, his fist aimed at his face.

But Abilo saw it. His icy blue eye flashed, predicting the punch before Rafael even threw it. He ducked out of the way just in time, leaving Rafael swinging at empty air.

Before things could escalate further, the teachers arrived, dragging Rafael away. But the damage was done. Everyone had seen it. Abilo was no longer just another kid at school... he had suddenly gained everyone's attention...

By the time the final whistle blew, Abilo had scored more goals than anyone else. His teammates surrounded him, slapping him on the back, congratulating him. But inside, Abilo knew this was only the beginning. If he could do this in a simple pickup game, imagine what he could do in a professional setting.

As the teachers dispersed the crowd, the football coach, Mr. Oliveira, approached with a grin. "Abilo," he said, nodding approvingly, "I want you on the team."

Abilo's pupils started to dilate, this is one step closer to his goals. He eagerly agrees to the offer and celebrates with his friend Mateus and the other boys on the field.

As Abilo walked off the field, his body buzzing with energy, he knew one thing for sure: he was going to make it. He was going to become the greatest footballer in history. And this time, nothing would stop him.

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A Quiet Night

That night, after dinner, Abilo sat in his room, staring out of the small, cracked window. The moon hung low in the sky, casting a slight glow over the rooftops. The weight of everything pressed down on him. He had been given a second chance, but the road ahead was long and uncertain.

His mother's illness, his family's struggles, his own dreams of football... all of it swirled in his mind like a storm, but amidst the chaos, there was one thought that struck his mind.

I will not fail this time.

With his new abilities, he would rise above it all. He needs to train harder, push himself further, and seize every opportunity that will come his way. There was no room for doubt.

As he lay down to sleep, Abilo glanced at the small, worn-out football poster on his wall. It was faded, the edges curling with age, but the image of his childhood idol, Ronaldinho, still stared back at him, a reminder of the greatness he had once aspired to.

"I'll be better than you", Abilo thought, his mismatched eyes gleaming in the moonlight. "I'll be the best there ever was..."

And with that, he closed his eyes, ready to face whatever tomorrow will bring...

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I'm writing this weekly-ish, comment down if you want the second chapter or you guys wante something to be included or what needs to be changed and some suggestions, just comment down and I'll try to include it to the next chapters and write them as soon as possible. Thank you.