Morning came like clockwork.

Julian woke before dawn, trained as usual—martial drills, stretches, breathing—then headed downstairs to meet Mageed.

The two rode side by side through the cool Hamburg air, bikes whispering across slick pavement.

Same route. Same rhythm.

Routine was its own kind of comfort.

Mist coiled low over the quiet streets, catching in the light of old lampposts. The city hadn't yet stirred, but its pulse was there—hidden in the distant rumble of trams, the scent of dew, the crisp clarity of a northern dawn.

At the campus, they parked near the racks and slipped into the canteen, trays in hand.

The smell of steamed eggs, grilled chicken, and oats drifted through the air.

Julian scanned his card, stepped forward, and picked up his plate—balanced, as always: high protein, moderate carbs, light fat.

Mageed's looked almost identical… except for one missing element.

The diet police was waiting.

"Julian," the nutritionist said sharply, arms folded, eyes narrowing like a hawk spotting prey.

She looked from his plate to his face, reading him like a file.

"You ate outside, didn't you?"

Julian froze mid-step. "A little."

"A little," she repeated flatly, scribbling something into her tablet. "Okay. You get a pass today. Don't make it a habit."

Julian nodded quickly. "Yes, ma'am."

As he walked away, he muttered under his breath, half in awe.

"They can tell…? Just from the plate?"

Mageed snorted. "Welcome to Germany. You can't outrun the data."

Julian sighed, poking at his food. "Guess Fischbrötchen comes with surveillance."

"Worth it, though," Mageed whispered, grinning.

Julian's lips twitched. Yeah. It was worth it.

He dug in. One lesson learned:

In Hamburg, nothing escaped the system.

…

After breakfast, the team gathered on the training pitch.

The morning session was short—just under two hours.

Sharp. Controlled. Enough to keep the rhythm without draining the legs.

Tomorrow was matchday, and every ounce of energy mattered.

Warm-ups flowed into drills.

Then came the focus of the day—set pieces.

Julian stood among the group clustered near the edge of the box, the air crisp with the smell of grass and rubber.

Coach Soner pointed to a cone, voice steady.

"Free kicks. Ten each. Accuracy over power."

Julian stepped up.

One breath. One strike.

The first bent too wide.

The second brushed the bar.

By the end, five out of ten hit the target—clean, driven, sharp.

Not great. Not bad. Manageable.

But not enough.

Never enough.

His mind dissected every shot—angle, posture, the micro-second release of tension in the hips. Each kick was data. Each failure, instruction. Improvement wasn't emotion—it was mathematics.

He exhaled slowly, already replaying the angles in his mind. The curve. The follow-through. The balance.

Every motion was a puzzle to be solved.

Today wasn't just another session—

It was the day.

The day Coach Soner would announce the starting lineup.

…

Inside the locker room, tension hummed beneath the fluorescent lights.

Every player in HSV II sat waiting, boots tapping, eyes fixed forward.

This was the moment.

Promise or pause.

A name called—or left behind.

The door opened.

Coach Soner stepped in—calm, deliberate—like a chess master walking toward his board.

Clipboard in hand. Eyes sharp.

"Alright," his voice carried across the room, even and unreadable. "Ready?"

"Yes, sir!" the team answered in unison.

He nodded once, scanning the room before speaking again.

"Then let's see who will face Kickers Emden."

A slow breath filled the silence.

…

Each position came like the toll of a bell. Names rose and fell, players tense and motionless as fate unfolded in alphabetical rhythm.

Every second stretched thin, every heartbeat a drum beneath the still air.

Goalkeeper:

Starter: Hannes Hermann

Sub: Luis Klatte

Center Backs:

Starters: Luis Seifert and Jeremy Gandert

Subs: Joel Agyekum and Lukas Bornschein

Left Back:

Starter: Melvin Wiesnet

Sub: Nicolas Oliveira

Right Back:

Starter: William Mikelbrencis

Sub: Timon Kramer

Central Midfielders:

Starters: Anssi Suhonen (Captain) and Leonardo Posadas

Subs: Milad Nejad, Benjamin Lamce, Davis Rath

Left Wing:

Starter: Fabio Baldé

Subs: Ayukayoh Mengot, Alexander Røssing-Lelesiit

Right Wing:

Starter: Emmanuel Appiah

Sub: Nilavan Prabakaran

Attacking Midfielder:

Starter: Omar Megeed

Sub: Jesse Kilo

Center Forward:

Starter: Julian Ashford

Sub: Omar Sillah

…

A ripple moved through the room—soft, stunned murmurs beneath the hum of air vents.

It wasn't Omar.

It was the newcomer.

Some voices whispered that Coach Soner just wanted to test the American kid.

Others muttered that Julian had earned it—that he'd outplayed the rest in training.

Across the benches, Omar's jaw tightened as he began untying his boots.

Coach Soner's clipboard snapped shut with a sharp clap, cutting the noise clean.

"Remember," he said, voice calm but carrying weight, "this isn't a reward. It's responsibility. Prove why your name deserves to stay here."

Julian nodded once.

He agreed completely.

This wasn't charity—it was a challenge.

And he'd answer it the only way he knew how.

In battle.

On the pitch.

Just like Lincoln. Just like every climb before.

Give him a chance—and he'd make them remember.

Coach Soner glanced across the group once more.

"Alright. Be ready. Tomorrow, gather here at 09:00 AM. We travel to Emden."

"Yes, sir!" the chorus echoed, boots scraping, adrenaline simmering.

Julian sat back, silent, the weight of the jersey on his shoulders feeling heavier—

And more right—

Than ever before.

It wasn't just fabric now—it was proof. The crest pressed against his chest like a seal, binding him to a new chapter.

When the locker room cleared, Julian stayed behind. The echo of cleats faded, leaving only the quiet hum of the air conditioning and the faint tap of rain beginning outside.

He stared at his name still written on the whiteboard — Ashford, Julian – CF. For a long moment, he said nothing. Then, slowly, he reached out and traced the letters with his finger.

His breath came steady, but his heart raced with something fierce and alive. This wasn't a dream anymore. It was happening.

Mageed returned, towel slung over his shoulder. "You're not gonna stare at your name all night, right?"

Julian smiled faintly. "Maybe. Feels different seeing it there."

"You earned it," Mageed said simply, dropping beside him. "Coach doesn't gamble. If you're starting, it's because he knows you'll deliver."

Julian looked at the floor. "Then I have to prove him right."

"You will," Mageed said. "Tomorrow's your first start. But remember—it's not about outshining Omar. It's about showing that you belong."

Julian nodded slowly. In his mind, the field unfolded again—the angles, the triggers, the runs. Every decision mattered now.

One wrong move, and the system would swallow him whole. One perfect move, and it would sing with him.

He closed his locker, exhaled once, and whispered to himself, "Master the flow. Command the system."

Outside, the rain fell harder, tapping against the windows like a steady drumbeat.

Julian pulled up his hood, stepped into the cool air, and felt the world tilt toward something bigger.

Tomorrow would be his first official duel. Not just against Kickers Emden—but against every shadow that doubted him, every whisper that called him untested.

The pitch would decide. The system would judge. And he was ready.

As he walked past the practice field, he saw the floodlights still glowing dimly over wet grass. The ghosts of drills lingered there — cones, balls, lines of footprints fading in the rain.

Julian stopped for a second, staring at it all. This was his new battleground. A place not for glory yet, but for understanding. For control. For mastery.

He clenched his fist. "Tomorrow," he whispered, "we begin again."

And with that, he left the field behind—

The storm building above,

The match awaiting ahead,

And the rhythm of his breath syncing perfectly with the heartbeat of the system he was born to master.

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