Ex Ball

chapter 5- trial by fire

Chapter 5: Trial by Fire

*Flashback: OJ stands alone in a dimly lit street court. He dribbles a worn basketball, each bounce echoing into the empty night. His father's voice, stern and unyielding, rings in his ears: "Basketball won't pay the bills, Orion. You need something real." OJ's jaw clenches as he drives hard to the hoop and throws down a one-handed dunk, the rim rattling against the backboard. He lands, breathing hard, but even here in his safe space, doubt clings to him.*

Back in reality, OJ steps into the towering facility hosting the Ex Ball tryouts. The ceilings are impossibly high, and the walls pulse with LED displays running vivid highlights from Ex Ball games. He can't tell if it's a court or a stadium or some massive research center-probably a bit of everything. A staff member, sleek in Ex Ball's black-and-neon uniform, approaches, holding a tiny, gleaming device between her fingers.

"Orion Jordan, right?" she asks.

OJ nods, eyeing the small object.

"This," she says, handing him the earring, "is the EBL SmartLink. Wear it on your right ear."

He slips the earring on, feeling a slight buzz as it activates. Suddenly, a sharp digital interface hovers before his eyes, and his vision sharpens in response to commands he hasn't yet spoken. A welcome message scrolls across his field of vision, and beneath it, a prompt appears: *Customize your eye color?*

OJ blinks, and for a moment, his eyes flash a fiery red. Startled, he raises his hand, almost laughing as he realizes it's all virtual, just a high-tech illusion layered over his actual view. But he settles on a simple, cool blue before focusing on the prompts again.

"Think of it as your personal control center," the staff member explains. "You can track stats, check your vitals, adjust dietary information... basically, it keeps everything you need to train and compete at your best. You'll need it for today's trials."

She gestures to an open door leading to a vast indoor gym, except it looks empty. No rims, no hoops-just an expanse of polished flooring under harsh, overhead lights.

OJ hesitates but enters. He scans the gym, unsure what he's expected to do until a new notification from the earring pops up: *Adjust visual setting?*

He selects *Full Court Mode,* and suddenly, a full basketball setup appears, as real as anything he's ever seen. Virtual rims, perfectly placed three-point lines, a free-throw line... and a ball, materializing mid-air at his fingertips. He palms it, feeling the rough, familiar texture. It's solid, real-or at least it feels that way.

His heart pounds. He dribbles once, twice, letting his muscle memory take over. The ball responds perfectly, syncing with his every move.

*Trial 1: Hot Zones. 500 shots from anywhere. Accuracy and pattern assessment begins in 3... 2... 1...*

The countdown's abrupt, but he springs into action. He hits his first three-pointer with ease, watching as the shot tracker lights up on his interface. He keeps moving, pushing himself to shoot from every angle, finding and hitting his comfort spots around the court. With each shot, his virtual HUD updates: red zones for misses, green zones for makes, and percentages adjusting in real-time.

By the 300th shot, he's panting, and beads of sweat begin to roll down his forehead. But he grits his teeth and powers through, refusing to break.

He finishes the drill with 410 makes out of 500 shots. His shooting percentage pops up in his HUD-82% overall. Not bad, he thinks, but nowhere near where he wants it.

*Trial 2: Three-Point Contest Simulation.*

The gym transforms instantly, morphing into a high-stakes arena. Baskets and racks of basketballs appear in set positions. OJ's mind races-he barely has time to process the shift before the timer starts. He moves, launching shot after shot from the racks, feeling the adrenaline hit as the crowd noise amps up in his VR.