Chapter 22: Beneath the Surface
Chapter 22: Beneath the Surface
The sky over West Sussex was grey again—dull and flat, like wet paper. A heavy fog clung to the training ground, and every footstep landed with a dull thud on the soaked grass. Players' breaths steamed in the cold morning air.
Simons stood with the ball under his foot, giving sharp, quiet instructions like a coach in disguise. Luka jogged around the cones with his head down. Joel and Dev passed the ball back and forth by the sideline—every touch precise.
No shouting. No music. Just the quiet, steady rhythm of a team taking football seriously.
Niels stood near the edge of the pitch, arms crossed, collar up against the wind. The excitement from their win against Tranmere had settled into something quieter—but more lasting. He saw it in the way they moved, in their touches. Belief. Quiet. But real.
A few younger players had joined the session. Max was among them, clearly nervous—his passes too soft or too short. After one went wide, Simons gave him a look and said,
"Don't pass like you're apologizing. Trust your feet."
Max straightened up a bit after that.
In the changing room, Luka dried his hair and looked over at Dev.
"You see the draw's today?"
Dev nodded while tying his boots. "Hoping for someone big?"