A week passed.
Two games. Two blowouts. Two more stat sheets where Michael filled every column.
28-7-5 against Eastwood. 31-9-3 against Crescent Hill.
[Progress: 6.77%][Skill Sync Boosted: Mid-Post Dominance Tier I]
The numbers spoke loud. But not as loud as the footage.
Clips from every game hit social media within minutes. Coaches didn't even wait for scouting reports anymore—they just watched Twitter.
One dunk in particular went semi-viral: a transition slam where Michael went up from just inside the free-throw line. The angle made it look unreal. Like he was floating.
"This kid is 14??" "Nah that's a grown man." "6'9 Jordan is WILD."
Michael didn't comment. Didn't even check the posts unless someone showed him.
He wasn't chasing hype. He was chasing progress.
Practice that Friday was different.
Coach Alvarez had the gym lights dimmed, only the court lit.
"Tonight," he said, "we're playing five minutes of hell. No whistles. No fouls. No resets."
The drill was chaos. Bodies flying. Elbows. Hustle plays.
Michael thrived in it.
He boxed out like a machine. Picked passing lanes like a thief. Hit three straight fadeaways over double teams.
Then, with 20 seconds left, Jamal tried to trap him.
Michael split the double, crossed over, stepped back to the arc, and let it fly.
Net.
"Game!" Coach shouted.
His teammates whooped. Even Jamal cracked a smile.
"Okay, Schmidt. I see you."
Michael didn't gloat. Just nodded, towel over his head, breathing steady.
[Progress: 7.04%][New Trait Activated: Flow State Recognition I]
After practice, Coach Alvarez pulled him aside.
"There's buzz," he said. "And I don't just mean blogs. A recruiter from Oak Hill messaged me."
Michael raised a brow. "Prep school buzz already?"
"Yup. Couple other academies, too. IMG. Montverde. All of them watching now."
Michael shrugged. "Let them watch."
Coach studied him. "That's it?"
"I didn't come back to play in someone else's system," Michael said calmly. "I'm building my own."
Coach grinned. "That's what I figured you'd say."
[Milestone Update: Regional Recognition Achieved][Progress: 7.34%]
The buzz was building. The storm was coming.
And Michael Schmidt was only getting started.