Michael Sterling, the "Lucky Mascot," stepped off the train from London, his cheap souvenir FA Cup keyring feeling heavy in his pocket.
The high of the Chelsea draw, the bizarre, surreal experience of being on national television next to Alan Shearer, had already faded. It was a sugar rush, a media-fueled fantasy.
Now, it was time for the vegetables.
He had just been paraded as the face of the fairy tale, the 18-year-old "Kid Genius" with the magic touch.
But as his cab drove him back to Oakwell, the cold, hard reality of their situation settled in his stomach like a block of ice.
He looked at the league table on his phone for the hundredth time.
Reading FC - 88 pts
Derby County - 86 pts
Barnsley FC - 85 pts
The Chelsea draw was a distant, glorious dessert. But this... this was the whole meal. This was the grind. They were one point behind Derby, three points behind Reading. Two games. Two season-defining, legacy-making, heart-stopping finals.
