First Training Session III

Later that evening, the boys returned to the pitch for the second training session of the day. The sun had started to dip behind the buildings, casting long shadows over the grass as the players jogged out in groups.

After the physical drills, they moved on to the team drills, which revolved around keeping the ball in control within the team, so they were divided into two sides and were made to pass the ball around within each team while keeping the ball away from the opposing team until they scored at the other end.

They could also only make two touches on the ball and were not allowed to do any fancy dribbles.

After the rules had been set, the young players sent the ball among themselves with quick and short passes while the opposing team chased after the ball, doing their best to gain the ball back.

They did this for a while until they were released by the head coaches and were allowed to go do their own individual training to improve specific aspects of their play.

By the time they returned to the dorms later that night, their bodies were heavy, and their limbs were sore. They ate quietly, showered quickly, and went to bed almost immediately.

**********

*Beep* *Beep*

*Beep* *Beep*

*Beep* *Beep*

Sebastian reached out and silenced the alarm. For a moment, he stared at the dark ceiling, then let out a breath.

In all honesty, Sebastian thought that the hardest part of training early in the morning wasn't even the extra training itself. It was getting out of bed. 

"Here we go again," he muttered.

He swung his legs out of bed, got up, and walked over to Felix's bed. The room was still dim, the sky outside barely shifting from night to morning.

"Felix," Sebastian said, tapping his arm gently. "Wake up."

Felix didn't budge.

Sebastian tapped him again, firmer this time. "Felix. Wake up."

Felix shifted slightly and cracked open one eye. "What?"

"Go get dressed," Sebastian said. "I'm heading out for training."

Felix blinked. "It's 5 AM already?"

"Mhm."

"Shit."

Without waiting for more complaints, Sebastian stepped out into the hallway and made his way to the room next door. He raised his fist and started knocking, slow and steady at first, then faster and louder when no one answered. He kept at it for almost a minute until the door finally creaked open.

Martin stood there in a baggy shirt, his hair a mess and his eyes barely open.

"It's so early in the morning," he mumbled. "What do you want?"

"You guys said you wanted to come with, right?" Sebastian said. "Well, I'm leaving soon."

He stepped past Martin and into the room, then walked over to Diego's bed and gave him a nudge.

"Diego. Wake up."

Diego groaned and turned the other way, mumbling. "Five more minutes."

Sebastian nudged him again, more persistent this time. "Diego. Wake up."

Diego squinted at him through half-shut eyes, then sat up with a defeated sigh.

"Get dressed," Sebastian said. "I'll be waiting outside."

He turned and left the room.

When Sebastian got back to his own, he found Felix already up, wearing his joggers and rubbing sleep from his eyes. Sebastian quickly changed into his own training clothes, laced up his sneakers, and grabbed his water bottle.

The four of them met outside a few minutes later. Martin, Diego, and Felix looked like they were still dreaming, their eyes heavy with sleep.

Sebastian smirked. "Ready?"

They all groaned, mumbling words incoherently.

The boys quietly made their way downstairs, the halls still cloaked in morning stillness. Their footsteps echoed faintly as they reached the lobby.

Near the entrance, the same security guard from the day before sat at his desk, sipping from a steaming mug. As soon as he looked up and saw Sebastian and then the three boys trailing behind him, he raised his eyebrows in surprise.

Before the man could say anything, Sebastian offered a tired smile. "My friends decided to join me."

The guard leaned back slightly in his chair, eyeing Martin, Diego, and Felix one by one. "Is this going to be a regular thing?"

He took another sip from his mug, then added, "'Cause they look like they could fall over at any moment."

Sebastian glanced at the others beside him. Diego was yawning, Martin was rubbing his eyes, and Felix was leaning against the wall like it was the only thing keeping him upright.

"I don't know about them," Sebastian said. "But for me? Yeah."

The guard chuckled and reached for the sign-out sheet.

They all signed in silence and pushed through the doors out into the chilly morning air.

Once outside, the cold morning air hit them fully. It was brisk and sharp, waking the boys up better than any alarm ever could. Their breaths puffed out in soft clouds as they moved to the side of the path where the pavement stretched open and quiet.

"Alright," Sebastian said, turning to the others. "Let's stretch for a few minutes to get our bodies warmed up."

They spread out and began warming up. Sebastian led them through the basics: ankle rotations, knee pulls, quad stretches, and hamstring reaches. Then they moved on to hip openers, arm swings, and light toe taps. Slowly, the sluggishness began to fade from their faces, replaced by something closer to alertness.

After a few more minutes, they stood upright, loosening their limbs.

Sebastian glanced at them. "Alright. Let's go."

Before they could start, he added, "Also, a word of advice: don't try to keep up with me. I'm already used to this, but you guys aren't. So it's best you go at your own pace."

"We're covering about eight kilometers or so. Never really measured it. Plus, you'll need stamina for the little exercises we'll do after."

Felix scoffed. "Don't worry about us not keeping up with you. We'll be fine."

"Yeah," Diego chimed in, cracking his neck. "You're underestimating us way too much."

Sebastian shrugged and turned away. "Okay. Don't say I didn't warn you."

And with that, they took off down the quiet path, their footsteps soft against the pavement as the early morning run began.

About ten minutes in, the group had spread out. Dramatically.

Sebastian was already far ahead, his stride steady and smooth, his breathing measured. He hadn't slowed once since they started. His body moved with a rhythm that came only from repetition, discipline, and months of routine.

Behind him, however, things were falling apart.

Felix's hoodie was soaked with sweat. He was bent slightly forward, wheezing hard and dragging his feet. His face was twisted in frustration, and every few steps he stumbled slightly before catching himself.

Martin's arms were flailing with each stride, his breaths short and shallow. His legs looked like they were about to give out under him at any moment.

And Diego. Diego was already done.

He had come to a full stop, hands on his knees, gulping for air. "I'm… I'm finished," he managed to croak between breaths, his face a mess of pain and regret. "Nope. I'm done."

Felix passed him but was barely holding on. "You've got to be kidding me," he muttered, glancing at Diego. "It's just running…"

But even as he said it, his pace slowed more and more until he staggered to a stop near a low stone curb and dropped down onto it like a collapsing tent.

Martin tried to push on for a few more meters, grimacing with every step, before he too veered off the path and sank down onto the grass with a muffled groan.

Now, all three of them were left in the wake of Sebastian's long-gone silhouette, panting like they had just escaped a wildfire. They didn't speak. They couldn't. They just sat there, defeated.

A few minutes later, footsteps echoed softly on the pavement again. They looked up.

Sebastian came jogging back from the far end of the path, still keeping the same pace, sweat glistening on his forehead but no sign of slowing or stopping. He barely glanced at them as he passed.

"Told you so," he said flatly, without even breaking stride.

And then he was gone again, his footsteps fading into the distance.