Chapter 47 – Crossroads of Ambition
The wind that swept through Bruges that morning was colder than usual, carrying the scent of rain and something indefinable—a charge in the air that seemed to ripple beneath the calm surface of the city. Jota pulled his jacket tighter around him as he stepped onto the academy grounds, his breath forming small clouds in the crisp dawn.
It was the start of a new week, but for Jota, it felt like the beginning of something far greater. The last few matches had solidified his place among the starters, but with that recognition came fresh pressure—a relentless whisper at the back of his mind that the next step would demand more than speed or skill.
It would demand choices.
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Inside the locker room, the team was already gathering. Conversations buzzed around Jota—teammates joking, stretching, preparing—yet he felt detached, his mind elsewhere. The quiet hum of excitement and nerves seemed distant, muffled by the weight settling over his thoughts.
