Julian stepped out of the tunnel and into the beating heart of Hamburg.
The Volksparkstadion.
Home of HSV.
Capacity: fifty-seven thousand.
And even empty, it breathed.
He wasn't alone.
Mageed and Fabio walked beside him, their sneakers tapping against the concrete in perfect rhythm.
Ahead of them, Coach Fave, the assistant, turned slightly, a small smile tugging at his lips.
"You guys ready?"
"Yeah," Julian, Mageed, and Fabio answered in unison.
They stepped onto the grass — the kind of turf that seemed to hum underfoot, sharp and immaculate, cut by countless battles fought in this arena.
The stadium stretched above them like a steel cathedral, every seat a silent witness to history.
Julian took a slow breath, eyes tracing the stands.
It was unreal.
He had seen it before — on screens, in highlights, through interviews.
But being here… standing inside the roar of German football, even when the stands were empty, was something else entirely.
