Rise of Legends

Chapter 13

As the season hurtled toward its climax, the top three teams—Ravens, Hurricanes, and Ironwings—found themselves locked in an intense battle for the championship. With every match carrying enormous weight, the atmosphere grew increasingly charged, both on and off the pitch. Training sessions became grueling marathons, stretching late into the night as coaches pushed their players to the brink.

Coach Williams, known for his meticulous approach, was spending endless hours analyzing game footage. "I've watched so much film," he remarked in a recent interview, "that if you showed me one still frame, I could tell you what game it was from and the next five minutes of the game." His dedication was a testament to the stakes at hand—nothing less than perfection would suffice in this race to the finish.

Other teams adopted equally extreme measures. Some coaches even required their players to sleep at the training facility, where hotel-like accommodations had been set up to ensure that practice could start at the crack of dawn. This strategy allowed for longer, more intense training sessions, leaving no room for complacency. The stakes were too high, and every minute counted.

Owen, who had recently recovered from an ankle injury, was thrust back into this high-pressure environment. After a particularly grueling practice, a reporter asked him how he was coping with the demands of the intensified training. "Coming off an ankle injury to this isn't exactly ideal," he admitted. "I haven't played or practiced in three weeks, so it's a little harder to get back up to speed—especially when that speed has changed. But I'm enjoying the challenge. It's what we live for, right?"

The reporter then asked Owen about his confidence heading into the upcoming matches. His response was measured but tinged with the pragmatism of a seasoned player. "We aren't playing anyone too difficult, but you never know in this league," he said. "I mean, Raleigh smashed Beauxbatons 11-0, and now the sky blue looks a little darker than before. If we wrap up the league before our last game against the Ravens, I don't think we have anything to worry about. But it would be pretty rough to be playing for the title on the last day. We've performed some miracles, but we aren't Man City, and we aren't playing QPR."

Hermione Granger, one of the team's key players, exuded quiet confidence when asked about the upcoming games. "I believe we've got this in the bag," she said, her tone steady and assured. "Beauxbatons being out of contention is a relief, and now it's just down to us and two other teams. But that doesn't mean we can afford to relax." She paused, not out of doubt but to emphasize her point, before continuing with conviction, "Our title hopes are strong, and while it would be great if our rivals slip up, we don't need to rely on their mistakes. As long as we stay sharp and play to our strengths, we can finish this season on top. We're ready for whatever comes our way."

The Ravens, meanwhile, were thrilled to find themselves back on top of the table for the first time since match week 6. Captain Ava Caldwell was asked about the Ravens' approach to the home stretch of the season, "It's really just about taking it one game at a time. We're fortunate enough to not have to chase, but we still have a job to do. Whatever is thrown our way, we're ready for it."

"And what about the final match of the season against the Hurricanes? If the league does go down to the final day, do you think you'll come out on top?" the correspondent inquired.Caldwell responded with confidence, "I mean, why would you go into a match thinking you wouldn't win? We've got what it takes to win, and if it does come down to the final day, we'll do the same thing we've always done. You have to play the match, not the occasion, you know? If we play the game differently because of what's at stake, we run the risk of getting too caught up in the emotion of it and not playing up to our standard."

While the Ravens and Hurricanes were gearing up for what looked to be a thrilling finish, Beauxbatons, now officially out of title contention, took a more relaxed approach. "Coach Dupont, it's been a very stressful season for you and your team. Now that you're no longer competing for the league, will you relax a little or continue pushing as you have all season?" a reporter asked.

Coach Dupont shrugged, "I mean, we don't really have any competition for fourth place, so I don't see why we wouldn't relax a bit. We started the season in last place and clawed our way back to fourth. We're happy with where we're at, even if it isn't first place, and fighting for the win."

However, not everyone on the Beauxbatons squad was content with their position. Matthieu Moreau, one of the team's breakout players this season, didn't hold back his frustration. "Yeah, we started the season in last place, but we would've had a real shot at the league if we hadn't been blatantly robbed by some poor refereeing decisions." His voice carried a sharp edge, the words hanging in the air like a challenge to anyone who dared to disagree.

The "poor refereeing decisions" he's referring to are three instances of what he saw as bad decisions that he felt sabotaged Beauxbatons' chances. One glaring example was the red card he received after what he insists was an accidental challenge on Ironwings midfielder Liv Cooper—a call he felt was blown way out of proportion. Although he came in with his studs up the whole way, missed the ball completely, and planted his studs directly into the side of her knee, Moreau remained adamant. "It was an accident, plain and simple," he repeated, though the flicker of defensiveness in his eyes suggested he knew how little sympathy he was likely to get. The sight of Cooper being carted off was bad enough, but the lack of any visible remorse on Moreau's part only seemed to fuel the controversy, with media members and social media users wondering about his true intentions.

Then there was the farcical yellow card for Charlotte Deschamps and the soft penalty awarded to the Ironwings, thanks to what Moreau called an "Oscar-worthy dive" from Ethan Jackson. His voice dripped with sarcasm, but beneath it, there was a seething anger that hinted at something deeper—an animosity that had been building all season.

And to top it all off, a VAR decision in their match against the Hurricanes ruled Cassia Rookwood onside for a goal that, in Moreau's eyes, was clearly offside. "The refs were out to get us," he muttered, his tone darkening, as if saying it aloud made the conspiracy more real.

But Charlotte Deschamps seemed to have a different view on things—especially the decisions that Moreau swore robbed them of wins. "I think Matthieu is a bit of a diva, to be honest with you," she said, her voice laced with a mixture of annoyance and weariness. "I mean, mon dieu, the tackle on Liv was horrible with absolutely no intent of getting the ball."

Her words were sharp, cutting through the tension with brutal honesty, and it was clear she was not interested in sparing Moreau's feelings. It should be noted that Liv Cooper and Deschamps are very good friends off the field, a fact that added another layer of complexity to her words. "And then the yellow card and penalty—maybe they were soft calls, but we can't pin the entire blame on that. We played pretty bad that game, and that wouldn't have changed whether or not the penalty was called."

The air between them seemed to thicken as if Deschamps' words had pulled at a thread holding the team together. "It seems like there's some internal conflict within the team. Is this stemming from Moreau, or what?" the reporter pressed, sensing the undercurrents of something bigger.

Charlotte then seemed like a deer in headlights, realizing she had maybe said too much. Her confident demeanor faltered, and she began to stumble over her words. "I mean—well... I don't think there's any internal conflict within the team, just—uhh...some strong personalities," she added, her voice wavering as she glanced around, as though searching for an escape. The uncertainty in her tone made it sound more like a question than a statement, and as she walked away with her face in her hands, the tension in the air was almost tangible, leaving behind a sense that the Beauxbatons squad was teetering on the edge of something that could either unite them or tear them apart.