Chapter Text
The alarm jolted Kaiser awake. Grumbling in protest, he swiftly silenced it and rolled back under the covers. Minutes later, another alarm blared, only adding to his irritation. He shut it off again, determined to stay in bed.
What finally got him up was Ness’s calm but firm voice:
“Wake up, Kaiser. You need to eat breakfast. Once we’re on the road, there won’t be time—so out of bed.”
Kaiser groaned and turned over. Ness, undeterred, yanked the blanket off him, drew the curtains open, and left the door wide as he exited, forcing Kaiser to move.
Still sluggish, Kaiser sat up, checked his pulse like he always did, then trudged to the mirror to begin his morning routine.
Five in the morning — brutally early by his standards, but there was no other choice. Bastard München had an away match in a few days. The trip was long, and to avoid traffic or any setbacks, they had to leave at dawn.
Like a zombie, he shuffled to the dining hall, barely awake, ate in silence, and went to grab his bag. Once packed, he stepped outside to where the team bus was already waiting. Noa was at the door, talking with the organizer and two drivers. Some teammates were already climbing aboard, arguing over seats.
Luckily, Kaiser didn’t have to worry — he knew Ness had saved him a spot.
As he stepped onto the bus, he was greeted by shouts, banter, and the chaotic energy of his teammates.
“Having this much energy this early should be illegal,” he muttered, making his way down the aisle.
Ness stood up from his seat, letting Kaiser slide into the window spot and tucking away his bag.
“It’ll take a while to reach the station. You can get some sleep meanwhile,” Ness said.
“Sleep? With this noise? I’d sooner believe the Moon landing was faked.”
Ness chuckled. “Good thing I came prepared,” he said, pulling out an eye mask, noise-cancelling headphones, and a neck pillow.
Of course Ness was prepared. He always is. Motion sickness? He’s got meds. Hungry? He’s got snacks tailored to your taste. Ask him why he goes through all the trouble, and he’ll say:
“I want everyone’s trip to go smoothly. So we can play at our best.”
The heart of Bastard München.
Once everyone had taken their seats and Noa wrapped up his conversation with the organizers and drivers, the bus finally rolled out. Their destination was a remote train platform that would take them straight to the city where the match would be held.
Gradually, the bus’s early-morning energy faded. Everyone settled down into their own little worlds. Some, like Birkenstock, Grim, and Kaiser, opted to sleep. Others, like Schneider and Mensah, kept their fans updated on Instagram with the start of the trip. The rest—like Ness—quietly occupied themselves, reading, listening to music, or simply watching the passing landscape outside the windows.
Occasional laughter and bits of conversation still bled through Kaiser’s noise-canceling headphones, making deep sleep impossible. Just when he finally felt himself drifting off, the bus suddenly swerved out of its lane—veering sharply into oncoming traffic.
Panic erupted.
The driver had fallen asleep at the wheel.
Noa barely managed to reach for the steering wheel, but it was too late. A speeding truck smashed into the side of the bus.
Kaiser opened his eyes slowly. A sharp, ringing sound pierced his ears, and pain radiated through his body. Shards of shattered glass covered the floor, digging into his arms and legs. But that wasn’t what crushed him—it was the weight of a body draped protectively over his own.
“Ness.”
Kaiser groaned, trying to shake him awake, but he didn’t move.
With effort, Kaiser slid out from under him. Ness’s body slumped back limply. Blood was everywhere. Tiny pieces of glass and twisted metal stuck out of his back. A window frame had pierced straight through his shoulder, staining the seat beneath him dark red.
Kaiser’s eyes widened. He reached out and nudged him gently. No reaction. He shook him—nothing.
“Ness... Ness!”
Everything after that was a blur.
Ambulances. Police. Sirens Kaiser barely registered.
He wasn’t even sure when he ended up in the hospital.
They had just finished removing the glass from his leg. In the bed next to him was Ali, his arm in a cast. It was Ali who had managed to call for help, Ali who had informed the staff and team management—since Noa was still unconscious.
Kaiser sat in silence, trying to steady his breath, trying to understand what had just happened.
A nurse approached. Through the thin hospital curtain, Kaiser could hear everything.
“How are they?” Ali asked, his voice trembling.
The nurse hesitated, then spoke softly. “I’m so sorry. We couldn’t stop the bleeding in either case. The injuries were too deep… and in critical areas.”
Ali barely managed to whisper, “…Ndiaye and… Ness. They didn’t make it?”
“I’m truly sorry.”
Ness is dead?
Ness is… dead.
The words repeated in Kaiser’s head, over and over, refusing to leave.
Ness had shielded him. The truck had hit the section just behind them. If not for Ness’s reaction, Kaiser would have been the one to die.
He had to know the risk. He had to know what he was doing.
And yet—he didn’t hesitate. He chose to protect him.
But why?
All the exhaustion had left his body. In its place, a crushing weight settled over his mind—the weight of reality.
His wounds were deep. He’d need time, therapy, and rehabilitation. He wouldn’t be playing football again anytime soon. The same went for the rest of the team... and then, there was death.
Ness had been a cornerstone of the team. Others often looked to him for direction—he led them, in more ways than one. He wasn’t just their irreplaceable midfielder.
He was irreplaceable.
Was.
Kaiser hadn’t closed his eyes once. He could still hear Ali softly crying in the bed next to him—until even that faded into silence. The only sound left was the mechanical ticking of the clock on the wall.
He sat there, staring at his hands. They were clean, but he could still feel the blood on them. Blood he couldn’t wash off. He didn’t care about the others. He never needed them. But the death of even a single pawn—someone he’d spent years treating like a tool—still struck something inside him.
The clock struck midnight.
And then—darkness.
The blaring sound of an alarm forced his eyes open.
He stared at the ceiling—not the pale, sterile one from the hospital, but the familiar one above his bed in Bastard München. He sat up, eyes darting around.
He was back in his room.
“Was it... a dream?”
Kaiser ran a hand over his face. “Just a stupid dream,” he muttered with a quiet laugh. He exhaled deeply, calming himself, then instinctively checked his pulse. Steady. Just like it always was after waking up.
He started getting ready. When he went downstairs to the dining hall, he was greeted by the surprised face of Ness.
“Well, well—you’re already up? Today’s gonna be a good day,” Ness said with a light chuckle.
“Let’s hope the trip goes fast. I’m still half-asleep.”
“The ride to the platform will take a while. You’ll be able to nap on the bus.”
“With that bunch of idiots screaming? I’ll be lucky to get five minutes of peace.”
“Don’t worry,” Ness said, his tone casual. “I already thought of that.”
Kaiser raised a brow. “Oh yeah? Let me guess—you got me a whole travel comfort kit? Headphones, mask, neck pillow?” He laughed.
Ness blinked, surprised—then smiled. “Got one of those right. Am I that predictable?”
He laughed again, but Kaiser’s expression faltered.
His good mood dropped, just a little. He muttered something under his breath and went to get breakfast.
Soon, everyone was gathering outside, arguing over seats as they boarded the bus. But when Kaiser saw it—he stopped in his tracks.
The bus.
The same one.
Exactly like in his dream.
Noticing Kaiser’s sudden stillness, Ness walked over to him.
“You okay, Kaiser?”
Kaiser snapped out of it, glancing at him.
“Yeah. It’s just… I feel like I’ve seen this bus before.”
Ness looked at the vehicle more closely.
“It’s a popular rental company. The club’s usual bus had some last-minute issues, so they had to book something else. This company gets used a lot by traveling sports teams.”
“Right. Whatever,” Kaiser muttered and headed inside.
He sat down in a seat that felt far too familiar. That creeping feeling of unease returned, heavy and suffocating. Ness sat beside him as the bus filled with laughter and too-familiar arguments. Then the same driver stepped in. And Noa. The journey began.
Kaiser couldn’t stop noticing it.
Everything matched. Every detail.
Too familiar.
Way too familiar.
And then—it happened again.
The bus veered off course. A truck barreled toward them.
Kaiser turned—just in time to see Ness throw himself over him, shielding him with his body.
His eyes flew open.
The nightmare had returned.
Ness was bleeding. Motionless.
Kaiser, ignoring the pain in his own body, reached for the deep wound in Ness’s shoulder. He pressed against it, trying to stop the bleeding. It wasn’t working.
The shard of metal had gone in deep—angled toward the neck. It must have severed something major.
Still, Kaiser applied pressure. Desperately.
Ali’s voice could be heard in the distance, shouting for help, calling emergency services. But time had slowed. Ness was going cold.
Kaiser was back.
Same hospital.
Same room.
Same news.
Ness is dead.
He slowly raised his hands to his ears, covering them, as if trying to block out the words. His voice cracked, whispering to himself:
“It was just a dream… Just a dream. Just a fucking dream!”
The clock struck midnight.
And once again—
the alarm went off.