Shadows on the Pitch

Training at CF Igualada should have been a distraction, but Daniel's thoughts kept circling back to what he overheard at school. If someone had been near Academia Igualada watching him, that meant they weren't just following him at random.

They knew who he was.

They were getting closer.

"¡Carter, despierta!" (Carter, wake up!)

Daniel barely had time to react before the ball smashed into his chest, knocking the breath out of him. He stumbled but managed to control it before it hit the ground.

Laughter erupted from his teammates. Even Coach Navarro shook his head.

"Estás en la luna, chico," (You're on the moon, kid.) said Luis with a grin.

Álvaro, however, wasn't amused. He walked past Daniel and muttered, "Si vas a jugar así, mejor vete a casa." (If you're going to play like that, you should just go home.)

Daniel didn't understand the words, but he caught the tone. Álvaro was still looking for a reason to push him out.

"Sorry," Daniel mumbled, regaining his stance.

Coach clapped his hands. "Alright, focus! Next drill!"

As the session went on, Daniel did his best to shake off his nerves, but something felt… off. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up. He turned toward the fence near the parking lot.

There.

The man in the dark jacket. Watching.

Daniel's breath hitched. Not again.

And this time, the man wasn't alone.

A second figure stood beside him. Taller, broader. And unlike the first, he wasn't even trying to be discreet.

Daniel's grip on his shorts tightened. They weren't just watching anymore. They wanted him to know they were there.