The morning light filtered through the simple curtains of Mateo's apartment in Dortmund's Kreuzviertel district, casting gentle shadows across the modest but comfortable space that had become his sanctuary.
A lot had passed since his spectacular substitute appearances against Augsburg and Werder Bremen performances that had yielded two assists and one goal, transforming him from a promising prospect to a genuine first-team contender. The dorm, once feeling foreign and temporary, now carried the warmth of familiarity.
Mateo's morning routine had evolved into a ritual of preparation and reflection.
He sat at his small kitchen table, a cup of coffee growing cold beside him as he studied the German newspapers that Sarah had left the previous evening, her neat translations written in the margins.
The headlines still felt surreal: "Der Geschenk Delivers Again," "Dortmund's Silent Genius," "The Substitute Who Changes Everything."
