Chapter 72 – The Final Thread
The roar started long before kickoff.
Allianz Parque was a boiling pot of green and white, every seat filled, every hand waving a flag or holding a scarf or beating against a drum. The stands pulsed with energy, a living, breathing beast of noise and passion. The city had turned its eyes inward—São Paulo’s heart thudding against its ribs as Palmeiras and Corinthians prepared to write the last Chapter of the Campeonato Paulista.
In the tunnel, Thiago stood in line, the weight of the badge on his chest pressing differently tonight. Not heavier. Just... more real. His fingers flexed at his sides, the grip of his gloves tight against his palms. The air smelled of deep heat spray and nervous sweat, the sharp tang of adrenaline already humming beneath his skin. His eyes stared forward, unblinking, watching the referee check his watch, the linesmen adjust their flags.
No more distractions.
No more what-ifs.
No more Camila.
Just this.
"Look alive," Rafael muttered beside him, bouncing lightly on his toes, his breath visible in the cool tunnel air. "They’ll want to break us in the first ten minutes."
Thiago nodded. "Let them try."
The referee’s whistle blew, and the teams stepped out into a cauldron of sound. Fireworks popped overhead, their echoes swallowed by the deafening chants. Streamers rained down from the stands, fluttering like confetti in the floodlights. The anthem played, but it barely cut through the wall of noise. And then...
Kickoff.