The locker room was a graveyard of silence.
Scarlet slumped against her seat, red hair plastered to her forehead with sweat. Her eyes burned with defiance, but the fury was hollow it couldn't mask the sting of failure. Aya sat with her elbows on her knees, staring down at the floor, replaying every misplaced pass in her head.
Grim leaned against the lockers, arms folded, silent as a statue. His aura was usually calm, grounding. Tonight it was heavy, suffocating. Even he could not shield them from the truth.
Lionel unstrapped his shin guards methodically, his face a mask. He had been flawless individually, but what did that matter if the team crumbled? Kenji muttered apologies no one answered. Ryuji buried his face in a towel.
