Chapter 32 – The Echo of Effort
The days after Porto's visit didn't feel like celebration.
There were no parties. No trophies. No announcements in the cafeteria. Just the quiet aftermath of something meaningful. A calm that settled deeper than joy.
But something had changed—Jota felt it.
Not in the way others treated him, though there was that. Bruno passed to him sooner. Leonel asked more questions. Even Tiago lingered after training to talk positioning.
No, the change was within.
He moved with more purpose. Listened with more intention. He no longer played to prove. He played to refine.
The difference was subtle. But it mattered.
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Coach Nuno began giving him more responsibility—not as a reward, but as a test.
"Lead warmups tomorrow," he said one morning, tossing Jota the whistle.
It was just five words.
But they carried the weight of a thousand.
Jota didn't speak much during warmups. Just short commands. Sharp. Clear.
