Three years later.
The crisp Munich air no longer bit cruelly at Mateo's skin; it welcomed him like an old companion.The winter sun slanted low across the streets, casting long golden shadows that stretched lazily across the sidewalks dusted with frost.
Outside the familiar brick building of his school, Mateo stood with two of his closest friends:
Lukas, grinning as always, his brown hair windswept, constantly dribbling an imaginary football even while standing still.
Sebastian, taller, more reserved, but with a quick smile for his friends, steady as a rock on and off the field.
They had been together for years now — laughing, playing, learning — a bond forged not just in classrooms but on muddy playground fields after school.
The three of them often played football during recess, joking and battling for imaginary trophies.But unlike Mateo, Lukas and Sebastian were part of something more serious:they both trained at a prestigious youth academy affiliated with Bayern Munich — one of the strongest breeding grounds for future stars.
Many times, they had invited Mateo to join them.
"You should come train with us," Lukas had said more than once, nudging him playfully."You're fast, you're strong — you'd fit right in!"
Sebastian always backed him up with a quiet, encouraging nod.
But Mateo had always smiled and answered the same way:
"When I turn fifteen. I promised myself I'd wait until then — until I'm ready."
Today, standing outside the school with the cold breeze playing with their jackets, Lukas elbowed Mateo in the ribs.
"So..." Lukas said, grinning wide,"Tomorrow's the big day, right? Fifteen? That means no more excuses, Mateo. Time to keep your promise!"
Sebastian crossed his arms and gave a rare, mischievous smile.
"Yeah. You said you'd join us when you were ready. And you look ready to me."
Mateo laughed, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.
"Maybe," he teased, winking. "One of these days, I'll show up and surprise you."
They all laughed together, a sound light and full of life, carried away by the chilly Munich breeze.
But deep inside, Mateo felt it — the sense that the time was truly coming.The foundation was laid.The years of waiting and building were almost over.
When Mateo arrived home that evening, the warm glow of the apartment and the smell of chocolate cake wrapped around him like a blanket.
"Alles Gute zum Geburtstag, Mateo!""Happy Birthday, Mateo!"
His mother stood proudly by a large chocolate cake decorated with fourteen flickering candles.His grandparents clapped loudly, party hats slightly askew, their smiles beaming brighter than the candles themselves.
Simple decorations hung from the ceiling — colorful streamers, handmade signs — but in Mateo's eyes, it was more beautiful than any grand hall.
Helena pulled him into a tight hug.
"Wir sind so stolz auf dich.""We are so proud of you."
The birthday song was sung — a little off-key, a little too fast — but Mateo loved every imperfect second of it.
He closed his eyes, made his wish silently, and blew out the candles with a single determined breath.
The wish was the same as every year:
Strength.Progress.Honor.
Honor the promise he had made to his father under that gray Buenos Aires sky.
That night, as he lay in his bed, the soft ticking of the old clock on his nightstand filled the quiet.
His mind wandered through the years behind him.
He remembered the first lonely days in Germany.The struggle to understand a language that twisted his tongue.The ache of homesickness.The endless hours spent training, pushing, sweating, learning.
He remembered the kindness of his friends, Lukas and Sebastian, who never let him feel like an outsider.He remembered family dinners, laughter, simple joys woven into the fabric of a new life.
He remembered each fall, each rise, each tiny victory.
Mateo smiled faintly in the dark.
He wasn't the scared boy who had arrived in Munich anymore.
He was something more.
And then — softly, almost tenderly — a familiar chime echoed in his mind.
[System Notification:][Congratulations!][Quest Completed: Foundation of a Champion - 3 Years of Daily Training.][Rewards Pending: Processing...]
Mateo's heart raced.
Three years ago, he had blindly accepted a challenge that had shaped his life ever since.
Train every day.No excuses.No shortcuts.
And now, on the eve of his fifteenth birthday —He had fulfilled it.
Tomorrow, the next chapter would begin.