Chapter 33: The Fire Before the Storm - (REWRITEN & REUPLOADED)
The tunnel was silent, but it wasn’t empty. The air inside was thick and charged with anticipation. It clung to their skin, settled in their lungs, and made every breath feel heavier than it should.
The only sounds were the quiet scuff of boots against concrete, the occasional sniffle, and the deep, controlled inhales and exhales of players trying to calm their nerves. The hum of distant floodlights buzzed faintly above them like an electric whisper.
Beyond the tunnel’s mouth, just past the thin strip of artificial warmth, lay the frozen battlefield of Sportcomplex De Toekomst, Ajax’s sacred proving ground. Amani could feel the cold from here. Even with the heavy jacket he had on a biting presence waiting to sink its teeth into them when they stepped outside.
He stood near the back, arms crossed over his chest, watching his teammates in silence as they waited to cross the tunnel. Tijmen was at the front, rolling his shoulders like he was shedding invisible chains, his face unreadable. Sofyan, behind the goalkeeper, bounced on the balls of his feet, his breaths slow and measured. Some players clenched their fists, others rocked from side to side, burning nervous energy in small, quiet movements.
Amani exhaled.
He could feel the nerves pressing against his ribs, a familiar tension winding through his limbs. But he wouldn’t let it rule him. Not yet. He wouldn’t be stepping onto the pitch in the first half, which meant he had time... time to watch, to study, to prepare.
The whistle would blow. The match would start. And when his moment came, he would be ready.
A sharp voice cut through the heavy silence.
"Ready?"
The referee’s question didn’t need an answer. The players moved as one, stepping forward, shoulders squared, jaws set.
The moment they crossed the threshold, the world shifted.