The final whistle of training didn't sound like the end.
It sounded like a beginning.
A sharp echo across the pitch—
Cutting through the heavy air.
Players slowed down.
Some dropped to their knees.
Others stood still, hands on hips, breathing hard.
No one spoke.
Because everyone felt it.
Something was about to happen.
Lamii stood at midfield.
Sweat dripping.
Chest rising and falling.
But his eyes—
Locked forward.
Because for the first time since arriving at the academy…
He wasn't thinking about improving.
He wasn't thinking about the next drill.
He wasn't thinking about mistakes.
He was thinking about one thing:
Is this it?
Coach Salva didn't dismiss them immediately.
That alone was enough to shift the atmosphere.
Instead—
He walked toward the center of the pitch.
Then gestured.
"All of you. Here."
Players exchanged looks.
Confused.
Curious.
Tense.
But they moved.
Slowly forming a circle.
Lamii stepped in.
Papii joined from the opposite side.
Enzo stood slightly apart—
But close enough.
Always watching.
The Unexpected Sound
Then—
It happened.
A sound no one expected.
Clapping.
Not from the players.
From the sidelines.
From the stands.
From the shadows where the scouts had been watching.
One scout stood.
Then another.
Then another.
And suddenly—
They were all applauding.
Not loudly.
Not dramatically.
But genuinely.
Respectfully.
Like they had just witnessed something rare.
Players looked around.
Some smiled nervously.
Others frowned.
Because this wasn't normal.
Scouts didn't applaud.
They judged.
They observed.
They decided.
But this—
This was different.
One of the scouts stepped forward.
Older.
Sharp eyes.
Professional presence.
He looked at the group.
Then spoke:
"I've been watching young players for over fifteen years."
Silence.
No one moved.
"No exaggeration…"
A pause.
"This is one of the highest levels I've seen."
Murmurs.
Small.
Uncontrolled.
Another scout stepped in.
Younger.
More direct.
"The intensity…"
He shook his head slightly.
"The hunger."
Another pause.
"You're not playing like academy players."
He looked at them closely.
"You're playing like professionals fighting for contracts."
That hit differently.
A third scout spoke.
"This…"
He gestured to the pitch.
"…this is the future."
Silence fell again.
He continued:
"The new generation of football isn't just talent."
A pause.
"It's mentality."
Another.
"And you all have it."
Lamii felt it.
Not pride.
Not excitement.
Something deeper.
Recognition.
For the first time—
They weren't just being evaluated.
They were being acknowledged.
Coach Salva walked between them.
Calm as ever.
But even he couldn't hide it completely—
The slight satisfaction in his expression.
He turned to the scouts.
Nodded.
Then looked back at the players.
"You wanted to be seen."
A pause.
"You are."
One scout stepped forward again.
Different now.
More direct.
More serious.
"This isn't just observation anymore."
The air tightened instantly.
"We've made decisions."
Players straightened.
Some swallowed.
Others clenched their fists.
Because now—
This was it.
No more waiting.
No more guessing.
No more dreaming.
The scout looked across the group.
Then spoke clearly:
"From AS Monaco…"
A pause.
"We want…"
Silence.
"…Papii."
The name echoed.
Papii didn't move at first.
Like his body needed a second to process it.
Then slowly—
A smile spread across his face.
Not wide.
Not childish.
But confident.
Expected.
He stepped forward.
"Of course."
But inside—
His heart was racing.
Players around him reacted instantly.
Whispers.
Shock.
Respect.
Because Monaco—
That meant something.
That meant opportunity.
That meant Europe.
Another scout stepped forward.
Elegant.
Sharp.
Controlled.
"From Madrid…"
The air changed.
Different weight.
Different pressure.
"We want…"
A pause.
"…Enzo."
For a moment—
No one reacted.
Because it felt inevitable.
Enzo didn't smile.
Didn't celebrate.
He simply nodded once.
Like it confirmed what he already knew.
Now—
All eyes turned.
One direction.
Lamii.
The last scout stepped forward.
Calm.
Observing.
But something in his presence felt different.
He looked at Lamii.
Directly.
Then spoke:
"From Barcelona…"
Time slowed.
"We want…"
A breath.
"…Lamii."
Silence.
Complete.
Absolute.
Like the world itself paused.
Lamii didn't move.
Didn't blink.
Didn't breathe properly.
Because this—
This wasn't just a name.
This was everything.
Barcelona.
The club he imagined.
The badge.
The number 10.
The dream.
All of it—
Right there.
Calling him.
Then—
Noise.
Players reacting.
Talking.
Shouting.
Laughing.
Because this wasn't normal.
This wasn't common.
Three players.
Three big clubs.
At the same time.
From the same academy.
One scout spoke again:
"This doesn't happen often."
Another added:
"Three elite-level prospects…"
He looked around.
"…from the same environment."
A third nodded.
"This is the future of football."
Coach Salva stepped forward.
"This is what you've been working for."
A pause.
"But it's not finished."
He looked at Lamii.
At Papii.
At Enzo.
"This is only the beginning."
Papii walked toward Lamii.
Smiling.
"Well…"
He extended his hand.
"Looks like we made it."
Lamii looked at it.
Then shook it.
Firm.
"But this isn't the end."
Papii grinned.
"Not even close."
Enzo stepped closer.
"You both got what you wanted."
A pause.
"But don't forget…"
His eyes sharpened slightly.
"This is where it actually starts."
Lamii looked at both of them.
Then said quietly:
"We said it before."
A pause.
"Number one."
Papii nodded.
"Yeah."
Enzo added:
"Only one."
Later that night—
The news spread.
Fast.
Clips.
Reports.
Headlines.
"A new generation emerges."
"Three rising stars shake academy football."
"The future is here."
Analysts spoke.
Experts debated.
Fans watched.
Because something had changed.
Lamii stood alone again.
Phone in his hand.
A message on the screen.
Barcelona.
Official.
Real.
He looked up.
Sky above him.
Dark.
Wide.
Full of possibilities.
For years, it was just a dream.
Now—
It was a path.
And this time…
He wasn't chasing it anymore.
He was stepping into it