Tuesday, November 11, 2022

Demien's Apartment, Bergamo

10:23 AM

His mother arrived the next day though her presence had been felt before that through a missed call at 8:15 AM and a voice note at 9:30 AM that Demien listened to while sitting at the kitchen table with coffee.

"Tesoro, I'm already packed and I'll be there this afternoon," Isabella's voice came through his phone speaker, and her tone was matter-of-fact rather than worried, "because I'm staying for a week to cook for you and keep you busy while making sure you don't rush anything, and I'll be on the 2:30 PM train so I should arrive around 5:00 PM."

She didn't mention England, and she didn't ask about the squad announcement, and that omission mattered more than anything she could have said directly.

The voice note ended and Demien set his phone down before finishing his coffee in silence.

5:17 PM

Isabella arrived with two bags and immediately began reorganizing the kitchen while Demien sat on the couch with his leg elevated, and she moved through the apartment with the efficiency of someone who had raised a child alone and knew how to take control of spaces without asking permission.

"You have no vegetables," she called from the kitchen after opening the refrigerator, "and your freezer is full of frozen meals that aren't real food, so we're going shopping tomorrow morning."

"I can't walk that well yet, Mamma," Demien replied from the couch.

"So I'll go and you'll stay here," Isabella said, and she appeared in the doorway with her hands on her hips, "because I already know what you need and Sophia gave me a list of what you actually eat versus what you tell me you eat."

Demien opened his mouth to respond but closed it again because arguing was pointless, and Isabella returned to the kitchen where the sound of cabinet doors opening and closing continued.

By 7:00 PM she had cooked chicken with vegetables and pasta, and the three of them—Demien, Isabella, and Sophia—ate together at the small kitchen table while conversation stayed light and avoided football entirely.

Wednesday, November 12, 2022

World Cup Build-Up

The World Cup build-up continued everywhere outside Demien's apartment as flags appeared in shop windows across Bergamo and Milan, and advertisements shifted to tournament sponsors while conversations in cafes and on the street centered around predictions and group stage draws.

Television coverage increased daily as broadcasters filled hours with preview shows and tactical analysis and squad breakdowns, and England's first match against Iran was circled on every calendar while the opening ceremony date approached.

The training ground at Centro Bortolotti emptied gradually as international players left for their national team camps, and the squad list for Sunday's match against Udinese was posted without several names who had departed to represent their countries.

Demien's schedule narrowed instead of expanding during this period, and physio appointments replaced team meetings while rehab rooms replaced dressing rooms, and his daily routine became structured around recovery rather than preparation.

Monday through Friday followed the same pattern—morning physio session at 9:00 AM, followed by light exercise work at 10:30 AM, then ice and compression treatment at noon, and afternoon rest with his leg elevated while Isabella cooked and Sophia worked remotely from the apartment.

The monotony was expected but still difficult because watching teammates prepare for matches while he performed basic leg lifts and resistance band exercises felt like existing in parallel rather than participating, and the weeks ahead stretched long without clear endpoints.

Friday, November 14, 2022

Demien's Apartment, Bergamo

11:34 PM

The apartment was dark when Demien lay in bed with Sophia asleep beside him, and his right leg was elevated on pillows while his phone screen provided the only light in the room.

He hadn't called the system since the injury because what was the point when there were no matches to play and no missions to complete, but the habit pulled at him anyway after days of silence.

"System," he said quietly into the darkness.

The response came immediately as the familiar blue interface materialized in his peripheral vision, and text appeared in clean lines against his mental field of view.

「Hello, Demien.」

A brief pause followed before the next line appeared.

「Current Status: Rehabilitation Phase」

「Active Missions: None」

「Training Availability: Limited」

「Match Participation: Suspended」

The text was neutral and clinical, and there were no rewards listed and no objectives displayed and no progression tracked—just confirmation that the system recognized his current state.

「Recovery Timeline: 8-12 weeks minimum」

「Rehabilitation protocol must be followed for full recovery」

「System functions will resume upon return to training」

That was it, and no encouragement came while no sympathy was offered, and the interface simply acknowledged reality without commentary.

Demien dismissed the panel with a thought, and the blue light faded while the room returned to darkness, and he closed his eyes while knowing sleep would take time to arrive.

Saturday, November 15, 2022

Demien's Apartment, Bergamo

10:52 PM

Demien sat at the edge of his bed while setting an alarm on his phone for 7:30 AM, and the screen showed "Physio - 9:00 AM" as the label.

Not for training, and not for a match—just for another rehabilitation session that would look identical to yesterday's session and the day before that, and the routine would continue for weeks without variation.

He placed the phone on the nightstand and stared at the ceiling for a moment while his right leg rested on the pillows, and the ache was still there but manageable after ten days of treatment.

England had moved on to their World Cup preparations, and football had moved on to the tournament that would dominate the next month, and his teammates had moved on to preparing for Sunday's match against Udinese without him.

Now his season had to find a different rhythm—one measured in physio appointments and compression treatments and gradual strength improvements that wouldn't show results for months.

He reached over and turned the bedside lamp off, and the room went dark while his breathing stayed even, and sleep came slowly but eventually while the alarm waited for morning.

A/N

After the next 4 chapters we are back to football.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.