Later that same Monday, at the SV Darmstadt 98 first team training ground.
The first-team training ground felt different the moment João stepped through the gates. It was subtle, not something he could immediately put into words, but he felt it in his chest. The pitches were the same immaculate green, the lines just as crisp and white, but everything else carried more weight. The air was quieter, more focused. Conversations were shorter, movements sharper. There was no sense of looseness here, no wasted motion.
He adjusted the strap of his bag on his shoulder and slowed his pace for a moment, letting his eyes wander. The buildings were newer, the gym doors heavier, the equipment neatly lined up in ways he had never seen at the academy. This was where the margins were thinner, where mistakes stayed with you longer. He took a breath before walking toward the pitch.
"João," Martin Heck called out.
