Chapter 27: Shadows Between Teammates
Chapter 27 – Shadows Between Teammates
Rain fell in sheets the next evening, streaking the windows of Broadfield Stadium like an old film reel unraveling. The locker room buzzed with the usual noise—studs clacking against the floor, the soft rip of tape, bits of banter flying across the benches—but something about it all felt different.
Not tense. Not explosive.
Just... quieter.
Niels leaned against the doorframe, arms folded, observing like a man watching a room rearrange itself in real time. Some of the lads were gathered around someone's phone, chuckling at a video. But further back, Luka sat alone, hunched forward, untying and retying his boots with mechanical precision. Again and again.
A few feet away, Simons and Dev exchanged glances during their stretches. They spoke, but the rhythm between them was off. Their body language—closed, careful—told more than words ever could.
None of it was a crisis. Not yet.
But it was enough for Niels to feel the early stirrings of something beginning to fray.
He made his way over to Luka slowly, crouching to the young midfielder's eye level.
"Didn't see you at training yesterday," Niels said casually, keeping his tone light.
Luka didn't meet his eyes. "Yeah. Sorry. Had something come up."