The days passed in a steady, relentless rhythm.
School.Training.Home.Repeat.
For many teenagers, life was filled with laughter, spontaneous adventures, carefree moments.
But for Mateo González Schwarz, that world was slipping further away.
He no longer lived the life of an ordinary adolescent.
His path was different —the life of a future professional footballer.
In Germany, and especially at a club like Bayern Munich, professionalism wasn't a suggestion.
It was a demand.
The club took charge of every detail of their young players' lives.
Nutrition.
Physical conditioning.
Psychological resilience.
Tactical education.
They weren't just building players.
They were forging athletes of elite caliber — or casting aside those who couldn't endure the fire.
Mateo embraced it.
It was hard.It was lonely at times.But it was exactly what he wanted.
Months had passed since the match against Leverkusen —that unforgettable day when his name first echoed beyond the training fields.
Since then, Bayern U17 had played eight more matches:
5 victories,
2 draws,
1 bitter defeat.
The victories were sweet —each one a building block of the team's rising momentum.
But it was the defeat that carved itself into Mateo's memory most vividly.
The day they faced Borussia Dortmund U17.
A clash between two titans of German youth football.
The match had been brutal from the first whistle:
Dortmund's forwards were ruthless.
Their defenders — walls of steel.
Their midfield — a machine of relentless pressing.
Yet Bayern had fought bravely.
Mateo had fought brilliantly.
He scored two goals in the first 30 minutes —a perfect header and a blistering shot from the edge of the box.
At halftime, they led 2-1.
But fate, as always, demanded a price.
Late in the first half, Mateo went in for a contested ball near the sideline.
The defender clattered into him awkwardly.
Mateo felt his ankle twist sharply —pain shooting up his leg like fire.
He tried to stand.
Failed.
Had to be helped off the field.
Without him, Bayern lost its spark.
Dortmund smelled blood.
They pressed harder, overwhelmed Bayern's backline, and scored twice in the second half.
Final score: Borussia Dortmund 3 — Bayern Munich 2.
The loss stung.
Worse, the diagnosis stung even deeper:
Grade II ankle sprain.
One month out of action.
For someone who lived to run, to play, to fight on the field,the injury felt like a prison.
Now, sitting in the club's recovery center, Mateo stared at his ankle, neatly wrapped in a compression brace.
Two weeks had already passed.Two more to go.
His patience was fraying at the edges.
A soft chime interrupted his thoughts.
[System Notification:]
[Quest Unlocked: "The Athlete's Journey – Recovery"]
All great athletes face injury. The true champions are forged in their patience, their discipline, and their resilience.
Quest Objective:
Complete full physical recovery (100%) without relapse.
Reward:
1x Basic Mystery Box.
Mateo sighed — then smiled faintly.
Even in this moment,there was a challenge to conquer.
Even in this setback,there was a path forward.
And he would walk it —slowly, painfully if needed —but relentlessly.