The return to Dortmund felt like coming home. After the whirlwind of China – the heat, the crowds, the relentless training – the familiar sights of the Westfalenstadion and the training ground were a welcome comfort.
Mateo stared out the bus window as they pulled into the facility, watching the groundskeepers tending to the pitch, the yellow and black flags fluttering in the summer breeze. This was home. This was where he belonged.
Beside him, Lukas was unusually quiet, his leg bouncing with nervous energy. "You alright?" Mateo signed.
Lukas nodded, but his eyes betrayed his anxiety. "Just... thinking. About what's next. About the season."
