Chapter 1: DREAM

Adrian had always considered himself an ordinary coach.

He had spent years training athletes, correcting their posture, designing exercises, and pushing people beyond the limits they believed they had. It was hard work, but there was nothing mysterious about it.

That changed the night he celebrated his new appointment.

Tomorrow would be his first day as a coach at one of the most prestigious women’s sports academies in the region, where he had been assigned to train a group of adult athletes preparing for an important sports competition.

Adrian was so excited that he drank considerably more than usual.

Eventually, exhaustion overcame him, and he collapsed into bed.

That night, he dreamed.

In the dream, someone was standing before him.

Adrian couldn’t see the person’s face, but he could hear a voice clearly.

"Your words can become suggestions."

Adrian laughed.

"What does that even mean?"

"You can place an idea inside someone’s mind. If your suggestion is convincing enough, their mind will accept it as though it were their own thought."

Adrian stared at the mysterious figure.

"So I can control people?"

"Not completely. Your words must still overcome their resistance. The stronger their will, the harder it becomes."

The figure raised a hand.

"Remember. A suggestion is strongest when the target already has a reason to believe it."

The dream suddenly dissolved.

Adrian woke up.

For several seconds, he simply stared at the ceiling.

Then he laughed.

"Too much alcohol."

He forgot about the dream.

At least, he thought he had.

The next morning, Adrian arrived at the academy early.

He met the staff, completed his paperwork, and eventually found himself standing in the training area with his new students.

All of them were adults, and all had been selected for the upcoming competition.

There were three athletes in particular whom he would initially be responsible for training.

Victoria immediately caught his attention.

She had blonde hair, striking blue eyes, and a confident, athletic appearance. Unlike the others, she carried herself with an almost rebellious energy, as though she disliked being told what to do.

Next was Alice.

She was quieter than Victoria and had a naturally gentle expression, with dark hair and dark eyes. Despite her innocent-looking personality, her athletic ability had earned her a place among the academy’s strongest competitors.

Then there was Clara, the most experienced athlete in the group.

She was older than the other two and possessed the calm confidence of someone who had spent years competing. While Victoria was outspoken and Alice was reserved, Clara seemed to observe everything before deciding whether it deserved her attention.

These three had been assigned to Adrian as his initial training group.

If their performance improved significantly over the next month, the academy would expand his responsibilities.

Adrian was about to introduce himself when he suddenly remembered the dream.

He smiled awkwardly.

"Your words can become suggestions."

It was ridiculous.

There was no such thing as mind control.

At least, that was what he believed.

Until he tested it.

During the introduction, Adrian noticed one of the staff members struggling to deal with a small disagreement.

Without thinking too much about it, Adrian quietly said,

"Don’t worry. Everything is fine."

The woman stopped.

Her expression relaxed.

"Yes..."

She looked around.

"Everything is fine."

Adrian froze.

His heart began beating faster.

He hadn’t imagined it.

The dream hadn’t been a dream.

He possessed the ability.

He had barely recovered from the realization when Victoria noticed something strange about him.

"Coach?"

Adrian looked at her.

"You were staring into space."

"I was thinking."

"About what?"

Adrian cleared his throat.

"Your training."

Victoria raised an eyebrow.

"Already?"

Adrian nodded.

"Yes. We’re starting with flexibility testing."

The three athletes moved into position.

"First, basic stretching. I need to evaluate your current flexibility before creating an individual program for each of you."

They began stretching.

Adrian walked around them, observing their posture and range of motion like a normal coach. They were stretching by touching their toes and their asses were high in air , they wore a t-shirt and short skirt which has risen up due to stretching.

For the first few minutes, everything was ordinary.

Then Victoria noticed him approaching from behind.

"Coach, what are you doing?"

"I’m checking your posture."

Victoria narrowed her eyes.

"You can do that from the front."

Adrian hesitated.

This was his first real test.

He looked directly at Victoria.

"Isn’t it normal for a coach to move around an athlete during a flexibility assessment?"

Victoria opened her mouth.

For a moment, she seemed ready to argue.

Then she paused.

Her expression changed slightly.

"Well..."

Alice looked toward her.

"What’s wrong?"

Victoria frowned.

"I don’t know."

Clara shrugged.

"He’s evaluating us. That’s his job."

Victoria looked between them.

Adrian remained silent.

He had deliberately chosen a suggestion that sounded completely reasonable.

And it had worked.

Not perfectly.

He could still see resistance in Victoria’s eyes.

But the suggestion had weakened her certainty.

That discovery fascinated him.

Adrian stepped closer and examined Victoria’s leg position.

"Hold that position."

She did.

"Good. Don’t move."

She remained still.

Adrian’s mind raced.

The dream had been real.

His words could influence people.

But there was clearly a limit.

Victoria had resisted him more than Alice and Clara.

Her personality was stronger.

Her suspicion had nearly broken through the suggestion.

Adrian silently recorded the observation in his mind.

Resistance differs between people.

That meant the ability wasn’t absolute.

Which made it far more interesting.

He looked at the three athletes.

A month remained before the competition.

And for the first time, Adrian wasn’t thinking only about making them better athletes.

He was wondering how far his strange ability could actually go.

He smiled.

"All right."

The three women looked at him.

"Let’s begin the real training."