In the Stranglehold of Fate

10.Beneath the Surface

As the final seconds of the match ticked away and his team succumbed to defeat, Lukas's disappointment was palpable. The sting of the loss was compounded by a fresh injury. After a quick shower, he stood in front of the mirror, wincing as he examined his arm. The old injury from the last training session had flared up again after a tough tackle.

"It looks worse," Leon remarked, concern evident in his voice as he surveyed Lukas's bruised arm. Lukas winced and nodded in agreement.

"Do you want to go to the emergency room?" Leon asked, noting Lukas's discomfort. Lukas nodded, quickly dressing and feeling both physical pain and an unsettling unease.

During the drive to the hospital, Lukas was unusually quiet, his normally upbeat demeanor subdued. The check-up revealed that his arm was bruised but not broken, though the previous injury made it worse.

When Lukas arrived home, his father's worried gaze met him. "What happened?" his father asked, having received a message from Leon during their hospital visit.

"It's a rough sport; things like this happen," Lukas replied, attempting to downplay his injury.

"Is there something else bothering you?" his father pressed.

Lukas was taken aback. "What do you mean?" he asked, trying to mask his discomfort.

"It seems like there's something more," his father insisted, noticing Lukas's unusual demeanor.

"I don't know," Lukas admitted, struggling to pinpoint his feelings. "There's just something I can't quite place, and it's been nagging at me all night and during the game."

"Is it Elena?" his mother's voice joined the conversation.

Lukas shook his head. "No, it's not that. If you don't mind, I'd like to go to bed." He hoped to avoid further questions.

As Lukas retreated to his room, he tossed his equipment bag into a corner and collapsed onto his bed. Frustration bubbled beneath the surface. 'Why does that fucking picture bother me so much?'  he wondered, unable to shake the nagging unease.

When Lukas woke up the next morning, he realized he had fallen asleep fully dressed, sprawled out on his bed. The same uneasy feeling from the previous evening quickly resurfaced. He got up, changed into fresh clothes, and grabbed a quick bite to eat, but the sense of unease lingered.

Sitting down, Lukas's thoughts drifted back to the previous night. 'How should I ask him if he was with that girl from the bar?'  he wondered, feeling a knot form in his stomach. 'Even if he was, why does it bother me so much who he was out with?'

The minutes ticked by, and the unease only grew stronger. Finally, he decided to push through the discomfort. 'Forget it,'  he thought, grabbing his phone. He tried to initiate a casual conversation, sending a message: "Hitting the books today?"

Khalid's response came quickly: "No, taking a breather. But if you need help with anything, text or call."

Lukas began flipping through his study materials, searching for a reason to reach out to Khalid. He wasn't sure how to broach the subject of the previous night without sounding overly curious. Once he found a suitable topic, he waited a few minutes before calling, not wanting to seem too eager.

"Hey," Khalid greeted as he picked up the call.

"Hey," Lukas replied, trying to keep his tone casual. "I'm a bit stuck on this task. Got a minute to help?"

Khalid agreed readily. While Lukas was relieved that Khalid was available, the unspoken question about the girl from the bar lingered in the back of his mind, waiting for the right moment to be addressed.