The fourteenth morning arrived quietly. The town felt paused as if it knew something important was coming. Marcus woke before dawn with a tight knot in his stomach. He stood in front of the cracked mirror and studied his reflection. His body was leaner. His eyes were clearer. There was a steadiness there he had not seen in years.
Still, he knew today would decide everything.
Hammond's words echoed in his mind. Fourteen days to prove you belong.
Marcus grabbed his bag and stepped into the cool morning. The court was not far but every step carried weight. He passed shopkeepers opening their doors and children bouncing balls along the road. Life moved on but Marcus felt like he was walking toward a line he could not step back from.
Hammond was already at the court leaning on his cane when Marcus arrived. He looked him over without smiling.
"You look ready."
"I am," Marcus said though his voice tightened.
The rest of the team filtered in. Some nodded at him. Others stayed distant. They remembered his past. The drinking. The fall. Many were waiting to see if he would break again.
Hammond raised his voice. "This is not charity. Marcus earns his place today or he walks."
A low murmur moved through the group. A few smirked. Others watched closely.
The test was simple and brutal. A full scrimmage against the younger players who were told to go all out. No easing up. No favors.
The whistle blew.
From the opening possession bodies crashed into Marcus. Elbows. Shoves. Laughter. One voice cut through it all.
"You're finished Marcus. Go back to the bottle."
The words hit hard but they did not stop him. They lit something inside him. He drove straight into the lane rose above the contact and slammed the ball through the rim. The sound snapped the court into silence.
That was the turn.
Marcus found his rhythm. He moved with control and purpose. He spun past defenders hit clean jumpers and delivered passes that cut through pressure. The game slowed in his mind even as his body burned.
The younger players pushed harder. They doubled him pressed him tried to wear him down. Sweat poured from his face. His legs shook. Doubt crept in.
Then he heard her.
"Come on Marcus."
He glanced toward the sideline. Lena stood there hands clasped eyes locked on him. She had come despite everything.
His breath steadied. He found another gear.
Marcus stole the ball sprinted the floor and finished strong. Then another stop. Another score. His teammates stopped questioning. They followed him. His fire carried them.
In the final moments the score was tied. Marcus held the ball as the defense closed around him. Two bodies blocked his path. Time thinned.
He faked left spun right and released the shot as the clock ran down.
The ball rose high and dropped clean through the net.
The court exploded.
Hammond struck his cane against the ground. "That is the man I was waiting for."
Marcus bent forward hands on his knees breathing hard. His chest burned but inside he felt light. He had not just survived the fourteen days. He had claimed them.
Hammond faced the team. "He stays. Anyone who doubts him can look at today. Skill fades. Heart does not. Marcus has both."
Applause followed. Not everyone smiled but enough did. Marcus had earned his place.
Then his eyes found Lena. She was smiling proud.
But just behind her leaning against a car stood Adrian.
Watching.
Waiting.
Marcus felt it then. This victory was not an ending. It was an opening.
The storm Hammond warned him about had arrived.
And Adrian was standing at its center.