Cesc Fàbregas left La Masia exhausted after another day of training.
It was an old academy, but one steeped in a particular tradition.
Barcelona's No. 4.
And Fàbregas was regarded as the next player in that lineage.
Of course, he was called the "next" No. 4 because others had come before him.
The tradition stretched back much further, but the most recent examples were enough.
There was Pep Guardiola, Fàbregas's idol, who had only recently left Barcelona.
Then there was Xavi in the first team.
And behind him, Andrés Iniesta, who was still moving between the senior squad and the younger sides.
Of the two, Xavi most closely embodied the traditional Barcelona No. 4.
Iniesta had some of the same qualities, but his technique was even more refined, particularly when dribbling in tight spaces.
Once Iniesta had the ball under control, taking it away from him was extremely difficult.
What kind of midfielder am I?
Fàbregas had often asked himself that question.
He did not believe he was another Guardiola.
Nor did he think he was another Xavi.
Every player had his own strengths and weaknesses.
Cesc believed his goalscoring ability was stronger, particularly his instinct for making late runs into attacking positions.
At the same time, he could drop deeper to organise possession and distribute the ball, while also contributing defensively.
At present, Cesc was the central figure in his age group at La Masia.
Behind him in defence was his close friend Gerard Piqué.
Piqué, however, was Barcelona through and through.
The club was part of his identity.
Barcelona was the second club Cesc had represented.
His first had been Mataró, a small club near his hometown.
He began his football development there and gradually attracted attention.
At the age of ten, Barcelona's scouts discovered him and brought him into the academy of the club he had supported since childhood.
During his years at La Masia, Cesc had developed rapidly.
As one of the most important players in his youth team, he was both the main source of creativity and one of its most dangerous goalscorers.
In one season, he had even scored thirty goals.
That was a total many strikers would struggle to reach.
Yet despite all of that, Cesc still felt uncertain about his future.
Especially whenever he saw Iniesta returning to youth training with disappointment written across his face.
Barcelona had been in turmoil for the previous two or three years.
Now, with presidential elections approaching, the situation was even more chaotic.
That meant little attention was being given to the academy.
Everyone at the club was obsessed with one thing.
How could Barcelona catch Real Madrid again?
Iniesta was enormously talented.
Cesc admired him greatly.
Yet his situation resembled a player being passed back and forth between teams.
One week he might be called into the first-team squad and given a few minutes as a substitute.
Soon afterwards, he would be sent back down again.
Iniesta was nineteen, three years older than Cesc.
It was easy to understand why he felt uncertain.
A number of clubs were reportedly interested in him.
Iniesta wanted opportunities.
But he was reluctant to leave Spain because he was unsure whether he could adapt to life abroad.
Barcelona was what he knew.
And Iniesta was hardly the only example.
Over the previous few years, several Barcelona academy graduates had gone elsewhere and established successful careers.
Gerard López was one of them.
After leaving Barcelona, he made his name at Valencia, earned international recognition with Spain, and even attracted interest from Real Madrid.
Barcelona eventually brought him back in 2000 for around €24 million.
Yet even after returning, Gerard had struggled to establish himself as an undisputed starter.
Now there were rumours that he wanted to leave again.
It was a strange contradiction.
Players outside Barcelona dreamed of getting in.
Some of those already inside were desperate for a way out.
Cesc performed well academically and had always been thoughtful for his age.
He understood that this was simply one of the realities of professional football.
It could be ruthless.
Only those capable of surviving that pressure had any chance of becoming professional players.
He loved Barcelona.
He was willing to stay and wait for his opportunity.
But there had to be something worth waiting for.
Some sign that the club genuinely saw a future for him.
Otherwise, what exactly was he staying for?
A familiar car appeared ahead.
Beside it stood a middle-aged man waiting for him.
José Díaz.
Cesc's agent.
Díaz had handled most of his off-field affairs ever since he joined Barcelona.
As agents went, Cesc considered him reliable.
"Tired?" Díaz asked, tossing him a bottle of water.
Cesc caught it casually.
"A little.
"Why? Are you taking me home today?"
Normally, Cesc travelled with several other youngsters from nearby towns using a hired driver.
If he eventually received a genuine opportunity at Barcelona, he intended to rent somewhere closer to the training ground.
That would spare him the exhausting daily journey between his hometown and the city.
He could also continue his education in Barcelona.
Once Cesc climbed into the car, Díaz drove north towards his hometown, almost forty kilometres from Barcelona.
Cesc had been making that journey back and forth every day for the previous five years.
And once he reached home, there was still schoolwork waiting for him.
Díaz had always been impressed by that.
Disciplined.
Mature.
Far beyond his age.
That was the impression Cesc gave him every time they met.
"Have you heard the rumours going around the club?" Díaz asked once they were well away from La Masia.
"Of course.
"Barcelona want Beckham and Ronaldinho."
"Exactly."
Díaz laughed.
"The problem is, they don't have the money."
He laughed again.
Cesc did not find it amusing.
If anything, the situation hurt.
Barcelona had struggled badly over the previous few years.
There was even a possibility they could miss European qualification altogether.
The club's management was chaotic.
Some people were already talking about Barcelona entering a period of decline.
"Do you know Iniesta is considering leaving?" Díaz asked.
Cesc nodded.
"I've heard.
"What's actually happening?"
"I spoke with the club about your situation.
"They wouldn't give me a clear answer.
"The problem is that they see your position overlapping with Xavi and Iniesta.
"Xavi is only just establishing himself properly in the first team.
"Iniesta still can't secure a regular place.
"And then you have the presidential election, the financial problems, and all the uncertainty around the club.
"Nobody is willing to make us any promises."
Cesc stared out of the passenger window.
Díaz could see the disappointment on his face.
Cesc had probably expected that answer.
Hearing it directly still hurt.
Díaz gave him some time before continuing.
"I think you should consider doing what Iniesta is considering.
"Leave Barcelona and look for an opportunity somewhere else."
"Where?" Cesc asked calmly.
"England."
Díaz paused.
"There are several English clubs interested in you.
"Two have already contacted me directly.
"And I know scouts from other clubs are watching your training sessions almost every day."
"Tell me about them."
"The first club to approach me was Arsenal.
"Their chief scout, Steve Rowley, called personally.
"They're very interested and want to bring you to London."
"Arsenal?"
Cesc was not immediately impressed.
"Their record with academy players isn't that special.
"We played their youth team recently and beat them 5-1.
"We completely dominated them.
"And from what I've heard, Arsenal haven't promoted that many players from their own academy into the first team recently."
"That's one of the reasons I didn't give them an answer."
"Is the other club in the Premier League too?"
There was a hint of disappointment in Cesc's voice.
English football did not have the strongest reputation in Spain when it came to trusting technically gifted young players.
"No.
"They're in England, but not the Premier League.
"At least, not yet.
"They've already secured promotion for next season."
"A First Division club?"
Cesc sounded surprised.
Not dismissive.
Just surprised.
"Yes.
"But they've had an extraordinary season.
"They've reached the FA Cup final and the UEFA Cup final."
Cesc immediately looked across.
"New Manchester United?"
Díaz was slightly surprised that he recognised them so quickly.
"Yes.
"The Red Rebels.
"Their owner, Mr. Yu, personally flew to Barcelona because he wants to meet you.
"And he didn't pressure me for an immediate answer.
"He simply asked me to pass on his interest and said he would wait for your decision."
Those really had been Ethan's instructions.
And the way he had handled it left an impression.
Cesc was genuinely intrigued.
He knew New Manchester United well.
The club had become one of the biggest stories in European football that season.
He had heard plenty about Curtis Davies in particular.
Curtis was not even nineteen, yet he was already vice-captain and a first-team regular.
Piqué mentioned him often.
For a young centre-back, the idea of playing senior football at that age was difficult not to envy.
More importantly, New Manchester United had developed a strong reputation for trusting young players.
The average age of their first team was barely above twenty.
Several important starters were still teenagers.
Yet they were already playing meaningful professional football.
For someone in Cesc's position, that mattered enormously.
At sixteen, he was not thinking primarily about which club he dreamed of representing.
He was thinking about where he could actually play.
Those were very different questions.
Díaz watched him carefully.
Cesc had not reacted to New Manchester United the way he had reacted to Arsenal.
The reason was obvious.
At that moment, the Red Rebels offered a much clearer pathway for young players.
"Mr. Yu also asked me to tell you something," Díaz continued.
"If you join New Manchester United, you'll train as part of the first-team group.
"He also expects you to receive opportunities in senior competition next season, including domestic cup matches."
Cesc remained silent.
But now he was hesitating.
And hesitation meant something.
If he had absolutely no intention of leaving Barcelona, there would be nothing to consider.
Emotionally, Barcelona was still his club.
But when personal development and sentiment came into conflict, the decision became much harder.
"What are you thinking?" Díaz asked.
With most sixteen-year-olds, he would have immediately suggested discussing everything with their parents before going any further.
Cesc was different.
His parents trusted him with an unusual amount of freedom and allowed him to make many of his own decisions about football.
That was largely because Cesc had always been exceptionally mature.
He was not yet sixteen, but he approached important decisions more methodically than many adults.
Perhaps that same quality explained why he read the game so well on the pitch.
Eventually, Cesc looked across at Díaz.
"All right, José.
"Contact Mr. Yu for me.
"I'll meet him.
"You can decide the time and place.
"But I want to speak with him personally before I make any decision about my future."
Díaz smiled.
"Leave it to me."
(To be continued.)
◇◇◇
◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 200 Power Stones.
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on Pat if you're interested: p-atreon.c-om/Blownleaves (Just remove the hyphen to access normally.)