As the players left the field, the crowd’s screams still echoed through the stands. The bleachers shook with energy, drums beating like racing hearts, and Kelvin’s name being chanted over and over. On the opposite side, Héra’s locker room was silent. Some players kept their heads down, others simply drank water in silence. Lian was speaking with the coach, giving instructions, trying to rearrange the pieces with what little he had. Outside, among the crowd, Júlia stared at the field with a serious expression. Her eyes weren’t fixed on the pitch, but on the phone in her hands. She hesitated for a few seconds, as if weighing the consequences of what she was about to do. Then, she took a deep breath, opened her contacts, and tapped on the name “Erick.” Once. Twice. Three times.
"Come on, pick up...", she murmured. On the fourth ring, the call connected. A sluggish, sleepy voice came from the other end:
"Erick?!", Júlia’s voice rose, full of relief and frustration. "For God’s sake, where are you?"
A second of silence. The sound of bedsheets being thrown aside. A sigh.
"Fell asleep?! Erick, it’s the final!", she almost shouted, keeping her voice down only because she was in the middle of the crowd. "The first half is already over! We’re losing!"
"Sanu is dominating", Júlia continued. "Kelvin scored the goal, and their team is way ahead. And us... We have no attack. You need to come. Now"
Erick stayed silent. His heart began to race. He ran a hand over his face, trying to shake off the sleep. Then, he jumped out of bed.
"I’m on my way. Give me a few minutes. I’ll be there for the second half", His voice was now firm, fully awake.
"Just come, Erick. I don’t care how. Just come" And she hung up.
He finished lacing his cleats, grabbed his backpack with his left hand, and with the right, pulled on the team jacket. His eyes still carried a trace of sleep, but inside, something was burning. Meanwhile, in Sanu’s locker room, Kelvin leaned against the wall, sipping water. Sweat still trickled down his forehead, but his focus remained unshaken. He exchanged few words with his teammates — everything he needed to say was already being said on the pitch.
"How’s the ankle?", the coach asked, walking up to him.
"Feels fine. I don’t even feel the pain anymore" Kelvin replied, giving his foot a quick twist to prove it.
The coach nodded with a smile. Then, he turned to the others.
"They’re going to come harder in the second half. A draw isn’t good enough for them"
Kelvin exchanged a quick glance with Kazana. Neither of them said a word. But they knew. They felt it. The silence between Kelvin and Kazana wasn’t empty — it was full of understanding. A bond only forged between warriors. They had both grown up playing football, but only now did it feel like they had truly been forged by it. Here, in this final, there was no room for hesitation. Kazana took a deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment. In his mind, the image of his father, watching from afar, flashed alongside memories of lonely training sessions and blazing-hot days on dusty fields. He couldn’t fail. Not in this final.
"You good?", Kelvin asked, in a rare moment of speaking.
"Never been readier", Kazana replied with a smirk, "And you?"
Kelvin rolled his shoulder, muscles popping.
Outside, the entire stadium seemed to breathe in unison. The crowd sang louder, driven by Sanu’s dominant first half. Flags waved to the rhythm of the drums, and kids on their parents’ shoulders screamed the players’ names like they were characters from a legendary tale. But on Héra’s side... it was different. The team was silent.
"You guys going out without Erick again?", one of the bench players asked, looking at Lian.
"He’s not here yet", the captain replied dryly.
"But do you think he’s coming?"
Lian ran a hand down his face, visibly tired. He didn’t want to rely on Erick. Didn’t want to admit the team needed that guy again. But deep down, he knew the truth. Dıscover more novels at 𝔫𝔬𝔳𝔢𝔩·𝔣𝔦𝔯𝔢·𝔫𝔢𝔱
"I don’t know... But I hope so"
Car horns pierced the city air. Erick pedaled hard on the blue bike he had borrowed from a neighborhood kid. His uniform already on, hair windswept, and his eyes — his eyes were fierce. Júlia’s face crossed his mind at every turn. The disappointment in her voice. Kelvin’s name being shouted by the fans. And that damn feeling — that burning shame — of knowing he was letting his team down.
"I said I’d make it... and I will", he muttered to himself, gripping the handlebars tighter.
The stadium entrance was in sight. The crowd, the gates, the parked ambulance. And then, the roaring chants, the supporters’ band in full force. He jumped off the bike while it was still moving and sprinted through the side corridors, passing security guards who didn’t even try to stop him once they saw the Héra badge on his chest. Inside the locker room, Lian was about to close the door.
"Let’s go. It’s time"
A sound echoed down the hallway. Running footsteps. Cleats on the floor. A thud against the wall. Erick burst into the locker room, breathless, his jersey halfway out of his shorts, sweat already dripping from his brow. Every eye turned toward him.
"Thought you guys missed me already", He smirked, though clearly out of breath.
"You’re late", Lian said, his voice sharp.
"But I’m here", Erick looked straight at the captain. "And that’s all that matters"
The coach didn’t argue. He just pointed to the tactical board.
"You’ll take Carlos’s spot. Play free on the left. The game’s tight, and we need aggression"
Erick simply nodded. He wasn’t there to talk — he was there to play. Up in the stands, Júlia let out a deep sigh of relief. She saw her brother join the bench, stretching quickly, getting ready. She knew what was coming.
"Go on, idiot", She smiled to herself, clutching her jacket to her chest. "Do what only you know how to do"
The whistle blew, and the second half began. Sanu came back with the same intensity. Rodrigo and Ian were already trading quick passes in midfield, trying to open up space on the wings. Felipe received the ball out wide and tried to cut in with speed, but Héra’s defense seemed to have woken up. Lian shouted, pulling the line higher, trying to keep the team compact. But what they were still missing... was sitting on the bench. Kelvin felt the shift in rhythm. He spun on the ball, slipping past two defenders and feeding Kazana, who tried to turn on the center back. The final was turning tense. A new balance had formed.
"They’re coming back stronger", said Rodrigo, out of breath.
Kelvin didn’t reply. He just looked at the opposing bench. And then he saw him. Erick. Stretching his shoulders. Smiling like he knew he owned something no one else on that field could touch. And that’s when Kelvin realized the chaos was about to begin — the moment the substitution board went up and he saw number 10 coming on and number 17 going off. Erick was coming in.
[Mission: Defeat Erick]
[Reward: Legendary Style]
[Difficulty: Impossible]