Elian stood at the edge of the training pitch, staring at the field ahead. It was his first official day back with Manchester City since the Euros, and the weight of everything that had happened still lingered in his mind.
The Flow State.
The final goal.
The penalty shootout loss.
The world's reaction.
Spain Beating them and proceeding into the finals, then going on to win the Euros tournament.
His body had recovered, but his soul still carried the bruises. The tournament had changed something in him. He wasn't the same Elian Slade that had entered the Euros. He wasn't the same player who had stepped onto that pitch for England's first game.
He was something else now.
"Elian, you just gonna stand there, or are you actually gonna train?"