The moment the final whistle echoed through the stadium, the entire world seemed to freeze.

Some players collapsed.

Some stared blankly at the pitch.

Some covered their faces with their jerseys.

And Blaze…

Blaze didn't move.

He stood at the edge of the box, sweat dripping down his chin, chest rising and falling in jagged breaths. His vision was blurry, not from tears, but from exhaustion so deep it felt like gravity was trying to pull him down through the turf.

Aya reached him first.

She didn't say anything. Didn't try to soften it.

She just wrapped her arms around him and let her forehead rest against his shoulder.

"You played your heart out," she whispered.

"And we're proud of you."

Scarlet sat on the grass, one knee pulled to her chest, staring at the scoreboard like it had personally betrayed her.

Anastasia wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, her jaw tightening when the cameras focused on her.

Lionel walked over and dropped a reassuring hand on Blaze's back.

"Stand tall. Titans don't bow their heads."

Rift Striker players jogged around celebrating, Damon lifting the trophy in a storm of silver confetti. His teammates roared, hugging, shouting, lifting each other. Fans on their side screamed until their voices cracked.

The Titans fans, though…

They didn't boo.

They didn't cry.

They didn't fall silent.

They stood.

All three hundred thousand of them.

They clapped.

They stomped.

They chanted Blaze's name.

Then Aya's.

Then Lionel's.

Then Scarlet's.

Then the entire team's.

"TI-TANS! TI-TANS! TI-TANS!"

The chant rolled through the stadium like thunder.

Blaze's throat tightened so sharply he almost couldn't breathe.

Anastasia grabbed his hand.

Scarlet pushed herself up and placed a hand on his shoulder.

Aya leaned against him, exhausted but refusing to fall.

Jason finally stepped onto the pitch.

He didn't yell.

He didn't talk tactics.

He didn't act like a coach.

He walked over, pulled the whole group into a huddle, and pressed his forehead against Blaze's.

"You made history today," he said, voice thick.

"Champions aren't only the ones who win trophies. Sometimes they're the ones who change everything. You changed everything."

Blaze let out a shaky breath.

"Feels like failure."

Jason shook his head.

"No. This is the beginning."

The players walked off the field slowly, each step heavy, Reporters lined the tunnel entrance, cameras flashing like lightning.

"Blaze! How does it feel..."

"Aya, what's next..."

"Scarlet, rumors say..."

"Jason, will you resign..."

Lionel stepped forward, protective.

"Not now."

The reporters backed off.

Inside the tunnel, the noise from the stadium became muffled, fading into a distant hum. The moment the locker room doors shut behind them, the silence swallowed them whole.

Scarlet slammed her palms into her locker.

Aya sat on the bench, emotions trapped behind her calm expression.

Anastasia wiped sweat from her hair, avoiding eye contact.

Diego lay flat on the floor, staring at the ceiling.

Blaze remained standing.

He didn't cry.

He didn't punch anything.

He didn't scream.

He just breathed in slowly, letting the quiet settle.

Jason walked to the center of the room.

"Look at me."

They all did.

"You just played one of the greatest finals in Galactic Cup history. You made the Titans matter again. You fought with everything you had."

His voice dropped lower, thick with emotion he normally refused to show.

"Lift your heads. You earned that right."

One by one, they did.

Even Blaze.

When they stepped out of the stadium hours later, expecting emptiness…

It wasn't empty.

A crowd waited outside.

Not a small one.

Not a pitying one.

Thousands.

They weren't crying.

They weren't angry.

They were cheering.

Scarlet froze.

Aya's eyes widened.

Anastasia gasped softly.

Even Lionel flinched.

Blaze took a step forward.

The crowd erupted into screams.

"THANK YOU TITANS!"

"WE BELIEVE IN YOU!"

"BLAZE! BLAZE! BLAZE!"

"AYA! AYA!"

"WE'RE PROUD OF YOU!"

Kids held drawings.

Parents waved flags.

Holographic banners floated above the air reading:

TITANS, OUR HEROES

FINALS FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 100 YEARS

WE LOVE YOU

Blaze blinked hard.

Aya whispered, "I didn't expect this."

Scarlet wiped her eyes before anyone could see.

Anastasia couldn't help smiling softly.

Jason simply nodded as if he'd known this would happen.

The team boarded the shuttle back to the orbital dock, walking through a hallway of fans who treated them like champions.

On the Shuttle Back to Earth

The shuttle hummed quietly as it drifted from Mars orbit into the interplanetary lane. Most of the team slept immediately. Scarlet curled up against her seat. Aya rested her head against the window. Lionel snored loud enough to be heard two rows down.

Blaze didn't sleep.

He stared out at the stars, replaying every moment of the match.

Every mistake.

Every goal.

Every shot.

Jason sat beside him after a while.

"You're doing the thing again."

"What thing?"

"Carrying the galaxy on your shoulders."

Blaze sighed. "We lost."

"And?" Jason leaned back. "Losing doesn't erase what you accomplished. You dragged a forgotten club into the final. You inspired millions. You turned players into believers."

He nudged Blaze's shoulder.

"That's a victory too."

Blaze didn't answer, but his chest felt lighter.

Just a little.

The shuttle touched down in New Lagos Spaceport in the early hours of the morning. The Titans expected cameras, maybe a few fans.

They were wrong.

The moment the entry doors opened…

A wall of cheering hit them.

Not hundreds.

Not thousands.

Tens of thousands.

The entire terminal was overflowing with people, banners, flags, holograms, chants that made the walls vibrate. Security struggled to hold the crowd back.

Scarlet's jaw dropped. "No way…"

Aya whispered, "Is this really… for us?"

Lionel laughed, shaking his head. "Madness."

Blaze stepped forward, stunned.

The moment he appeared, the crowd erupted like a volcanic blast.

"BLAZE TITAN!"

"TITANS FOREVER!"

"WE'RE PROUD OF YOU!"

"WELCOME HOME CHAMPIONS!"

Flash bulbs lit up the air. Confetti cannons fired. Kids held signs saying I want to be like Blaze and Aya, my hero.

Then came something none of them expected.

Investors.

Sponsors.

Team owners.

Corporate reps.

Brand managers.

Even federation officials.

They lined up like people waiting to meet royalty.

One offered new gear sponsorship.

Another requested Blaze as ambassador.

Another proposed funding Titan's training complex.

Another wanted Aya as the face of a martial arts campaign.

Another offered Scarlett a personal brand deal.

Another wanted Anastasia for an airspeed advertisement.

Jason blinked slowly.

"Well… I guess the galaxy noticed."

Blaze didn't say a word.

He just looked around at the chaos, the love, the roaring approval.

The Titans lost the final.

But they won the galaxy.

And deep down, Blaze knew this wasn't the end of their story.

It wasn't even close.

It was the spark.

The real beginning.

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