I Thought I Was A Devil

Season 7 Chapter 26

Victoria: Anne, I think you should change your shoes. (She says concerned.)

Me: What do you mean? (I asked as we sat in the changing room, getting ready for the match.)

Victoria: Jules told me that you almost had an accident two days ago. (She rubs her forehead frustrated.) You should start spending some money on yourself, you know.

Me: Well, that was my roller skates. And I did spend some money on my outfits before coming to Germany. (I replied casually.) I mean I do need a haircut though. (I said holding the end of my hair.) It has grown a lot over the months. (I sighed.)

Victoria: (she pinched the bridge of her nose sighing) I mean as long as you are fine, that’s all it matters.

Me: (I smiled) Thanks for your concerns.

I noticed Victoria walking towards Jules, Choon Hee, Julie and others as they murmured something among themselves.

Victoria: (she whispers) Skate shoes, jacket…..(along the line she spoke about things as others nodded in agreement.)

Aoi: Girls. (She walks in the Changing room) Please take your seat. (She requests in a commanding tone. We sat on the benches kept in the room, as Maria places herself next to me.) As far as I am aware, you have already played against Sturmwald Academy during your first match?

Julie: Yes coach. (She replies.)

Aoi: As you already know that they got a chance to reappear in the competition after few of the schools were caught cheating. (She closes her notebook) Today is your finals, and I don’t have much to suggest. Each one of you have grown a lot over the months, and I am proud of you. We will be using 4-4-2 formation.

Victoria: (she raises her hand) But coach, we have already used that formation against them.

Aoi: It doesn’t matters, if it works, it works. Also, if they see similar formation used last time, they might let their guts down and be a bit overconfident. All you need, is to focus on your gameplay and strategies and give your hundred percent. (She lets out a soft smile that reached her eyes.) Don’t be stressed, just enjoy yourself. Winning or losing doesn’t matters, what matters is that you feel satisfied with your performance. So that when you look back at this moment, you can feel, “yeah, I did my best.” Be humble if you win, don’t overthink about your failure, its just part of life. (She takes a deep breath before becoming serious) One last piece of advice. Just because you have defeated your opponent once, don't underestimate them. Like you have trained hard to come to this stage, they have worked hard too. Don’t be overconfident, and look down on them, that one mistake in life can become a big problem. I know each one of you are smart enough, so be careful about your attitude.

Everyone: Thank you, Coach! (Everyone said with full spirit.)

Though half of her lectures went to deaf ears. For me these words didn’t even mattered much, and even she knew it. I don’t expect any special treatment, but I knew I needed to win this match. I don’t know when I will get such opportunity again, so I need to grab it, no matter what happens. Its just my personal hunger, I know I have worked hard for this moment, so has everyone in this team, and I can’t let our hardships become a waste. My focus remained on the field, even while sitting in that changing room, all I could think about was goals.

Aoi: (she clicks her fingers together snapping me back to reality. I could notice her eyes staring at my soul. As if she knew what was going on inside of my head.) All the best everyone. I believe in each of you. So give your best. Anne and Maria will be in forward, Jules, Choon Hee, Bella and Lotte in mid field. Christina, Victoria, Hope and Irina in defence. All the best everyone, I know you can do it. Now get ready for the field. (She says blowing the whistle. We stood up and stretched, joining the line as everyone exited one by one. Just as I noticed my shoelace was untied and was about to fix it, Aoi knelt down, quickly tied it for me, and gave my back a light slap.) All the best. (She said giving me a knowing look.) The stadium is all yours. Don’t disappoint me.

Me: (I grinned widely) I won’t. (I said before following my teammates.)

With each step the thrill increased, the deafening screams of the crowd, the cheers, nothing mattered for me. My heart pounded fast, as I could feel my adrenaline rush. I grit my teeth, as if waiting for this moment for years. “Yes, all my hard works will pay today.” The hard work that went beyond training, or team formation. My energy, my time, and the life that I had lost because of someone’s greed and jealousy. It took me ages to be in this platform again. And something says, I don’t want to lose this. I can’t afford to lose this. I could notice Lucia glancing at our direction, her face was mixed with determination and nervousness. “I am sorry Lucia.” I thought to myself, “but I am here to win.” I gulped my spit, and clenched my fist, as we got in our positions. There were many new and old faces among Sturmwald Academy, but that didn’t even bothered me. My eyes remained fixed on their goal post as if waiting for an opportunity even before the match started.

Girl 1: Dang are they looking down on us? Using the same strategy. (She clicks her tongue)

Girl 2: Maybe they are helping us to win. (She laughs.)

Girl 3: Isn’t that the same girl who got injured while playing with us first time? What was her name? Bella right? (She laughs along)

Girl 1 : They clearly aren’t serious about this match. (She sighs in disappointment.)

Lucia: Shut up. (She glares at them) Don’t look down on them. It’s a final match, not your father's living room! (She says scolding.)

Girl 1: sorry….(she says feeling guilty.)

Julie: (she adjusts her armband before shouting as loud as she could among the crowds noises.) Guys! Remember what Coach taught us! All the best everyone! We can do this!

Everyone: Yes!!! (We shouted with renewed energy.)

As the whistle blew, the game kicked off with an intensity that shook the ground beneath our feet. The tension from the stands spilled onto the field, every movement charged with purpose. I could hear the murmurs from Sturmwald Academy’s players, but their words didn't faze me. My focus was sharper than ever, my eyes set on one thing—the goal.

The ball moved quickly between our midfielders. Choon Hee passed it to Jules, who swiftly dodged a defender and sent it back towards Bella, as she handled the ball with confidence, skillfully navigating past two opponents. The game was fast, the stakes clear.

Maria: (she ran beside me, her eyes gleaming with the same hunger I felt) Let’s break through! (I nodded without a word. As we spoke through our eyes.)

We charged forward, our feet pounding against the grass as we closed in on their defense. Lucia was their anchor, directing her team with precision, but I could see the cracks forming. They weren’t ready for the aggression we brought to this game. With one quick movement, Maria passed the ball to me, and without hesitation, I aimed for the goal. The shot was clean, a direct hit toward the top corner, but their keeper managed to deflect it with the tips of her fingers. The ball bounced out, landing near Jules, who quickly regained possession.

Jules: (she yelled, looking for an opening) Anne, right!

I sprinted to the right, barely evading two defenders, and Jules sent a perfect cross my way. Without thinking, I leaped and headed the ball straight toward the goal. This time, the keeper was too late. The ball hit the back of the net, and the stadium exploded into cheers. I panted softly before turning towards Maria, as we nodded slightly at each other, as if we knew what we were thinking without even wasting words.

The goal ignited a fire in us, but Sturmwald Academy didn’t back down either. Lucia rallied her team, and they came at us harder. Their forwards pushed relentlessly, trying to break through our defense. Victoria and Hope stood their ground, intercepting passes and blocking shots with determination that mirrored ours.

Victoria: (she barked orders from the back) Stay tight! Don’t let them through!

Minutes felt like hours, our defence stayed strong, while Julie made sure that goals can’t pass through her skilful eyes. The clock was ticking, and with each passing second, the pressure mounted. The score remained 1-0 in our favor, but one mistake could change everything.

As the game entered the final ten minutes, Lucia managed to slip past our midfielders, charging straight toward our goal. I could see the determination in her eyes—this was her moment, and she wasn’t going to let it slip away. But neither was I.
With a burst of speed, I raced back, closing the gap between us. Just as Lucia was about to take her shot, I slid in from the side, knocking the ball away from her feet. The crowd gasped, and for a moment, everything seemed to freeze.

Lucia: (she looked at me, her face a mix of frustration and respect) Nice save. (catching my breath, I gave her a quick nod)

The final whistle blew moments later, and the game ended 1-0. We had done it,  I turned towards the direction coach was sitting, and raised my hand and made a fist in air as if declaring our Victory. All the adrenaline rush faded from my body, my head felt light and overwhelmed with happiness, as my feet felt weak, I trembled almost falling on the grass, only to be held by my teammates. All our hard works have finally paid off, I was still feeling drowsy wondering if its all a dream and someone will wake me up. I could see tears of happiness from my teammates' eyes as they embraced me. I could hear the crowd roar in cheers and camera flashing. I could see Ratree standing at a distance and clicking our pictures. My body felt weak, I bit my lower lip trying to express my happiness, but there was a hint of sadness. “Yeah…..its over…..we have won….”

To be continued....