[Outside Hampden]
The bus slowed as it neared the stadium, a wave of noise washing over the team as they entered Hampden's perimeter. Fans pounded the sides of the bus, chanting and waving flags, some yelling out Rakim's name, and that of the other players, trying to get their attention. The energy was electric. Rakim could feel the vibration of the chants echo through his bones as he looked out at the sea of green and white. The supporters were here for them, but the noise from the maroon side of the stadium was just as relentless. Hearts' fans were giving their all, ready to see their side make history.
Rakim leaned forward slightly, peering through the window. His heart racing now, matching the pace of the pulse outside. This was the moment he had been waiting for since he first kicked a football as a kid. The time and place where different but the moment was just as special as it had been in his dreams no matter how far-fetched they were.
