Chapter 160: Proving Themselves
November 2nd, 2010
The air felt different here heavier, damp, and cold in a way that sank into your bones. It wasn't the sharp, energizing chill of home back at their training ground.
This cold was quieter, more suffocating. Stadium MK stood tall and polished, all clean concrete and steel modern, efficient, and impersonal.
The stands were far from full, and the noise from the crowd was little more than a dull background hum.
It lacked the fierce, gritty roar of a local derby the kind of atmosphere that made your chest tighten and your heart race.
Instead, this felt... muted.
Like they were part of some careful test, not a game.
Down on the sidelines, Niels stood watching his players go through their warm-up.
There was a tight, anxious knot twisting in his stomach.
The stadium lights beamed down with a harsh, white glow that made everything look too sharp, too clean.
