The wind rustled the hair of the children lightly, cooling the sweat on their brows. Their faces were flushed with joy and exhaustion, shouts of names and tactics bouncing across the frozen field. Feet pounded against the frost-hardened earth, kicking the black-and-white ball as they chased it with boundless energy.
A boy with dark green hair and black eyes, clad in a blue jersey, intercepted the ball and shot forward like a streak. His friends' excited cheers filled the air as he weaved between defenders, the world narrowing to him, the ball, and the goal. With a stylish feint, he slipped past the goalkeeper and drove the ball home.
PAH! POM!
"GOAL!!!!" they screamed, joy echoing in the crisp air."That was awesome!""Good work, Felix!"
Their voices never had the chance to fade.
The earth groaned—deep, drawn-out, like the sound of a great beast breathing under the soil. The frozen ground trembled beneath their boots, tiny fissures zigzagging across the snow-packed field.
