Chapter 65 – The Fire in His Veins
The crisp morning air of Penedono carried with it the faint scent of earth and smoke from distant chimneys. Autumn had fully arrived, painting the hills in amber and gold, and as Jota laced his worn-out boots on the porch, he felt a quiet determination stirring inside him.
Football had become more than just an escape. It was turning into a lifeline, a bridge between the boy who had once been overlooked and the young man people were starting to recognize. News of his performance in the recent district tournament had spread faster than he expected. Farmers, shopkeepers, even old men playing cards at the tavern mentioned his name with a kind of pride—as though his small victories on the pitch were theirs too.
But Jota himself remained restless. He knew the road was only beginning, and the weight of expectation pressed harder on his shoulders with each passing day.
