A future that felt bigger than just surviving.
The chant changed again.
Simpler now.
"Lukas bleiben! Lukas bleiben!"
(Lukas stay! Lukas stay!)
Over and over.
And as the afternoon sun climbed higher, the crowd didn't leave.
If anything—
it grew.
More scarves.
More banners.
More voices joining.
Because in Germany, this wasn't unusual.
This was what happened when fans felt like something was being taken from them.
Not just a player.
But a possibility.
And somewhere inside the building, behind glass and concrete and closed doors—
decisions had already been made.
But outside—
they were still fighting them.
* * *
Koch didn't even try to keep his voice down.
He came in fast, phone still in his hand, eyes wide in a way that didn't match the relaxed atmosphere from just moments ago.
"Lukas."
Lukas turned slightly, still half-focused on the screen where Spain's highlights were looping.
"What?"
