The shortlist was announced at midnight.
No press release.
No speech.
Just a clean system notification that blinked silently across every candidate's panel.
"TOP 24 NATIONAL SHORTLIST – CONFIRMED
Qualified: YES
Welcome to the Steelheart Stage."
Raj read it once.Then set his device down.
No cheers.No smile.
Just a breath that ran deeper than relief — stitched with something heavier.
Responsibility.
Because this wasn't just about his rise anymore.It was about every silent player watching from the shadows, waiting for someone like them to be seen.
By sunrise, the Top 24 stood on the gravel of Legacy Field.No grass.No painted lines.
Just a cracked, open ground flanked by iron poles and faded banners of past legends.
Here, noise meant nothing.Only memory mattered.
The camp coordinator, an ex-national test captain named Armaan Singh, stepped forward with a clipboard and a frown.
"Congratulations. You've reached the stage where the jersey doesn't care about your followers."
