Chapter 37: Playoffs and Preparations

Morning came slowly to the forests outside Vancouver. The snowstorm from the night before had faded into a pale mist that hung over the frozen lake. Sunlight filtered through the tall trees, casting long golden lines across the ice where Finn’s sudden burst of power had spread frost patterns like delicate lightning.

Inside the cabin, the aftermath of the attack was still visible.

The kitchen table had been replaced with a temporary folding one. A chair leaned against the wall waiting to be repaired. Brody was crouched near the broken door frame with a hammer.

“Well,” he said, tightening a screw, “at least they didn’t burn the place down.”

Jake leaned against the wall with a cup of coffee.

“Give them time.”

Brody grinned.

“Optimistic.”

Across the room, Alex sat on the couch with Finn and Liam bundled in warm sweaters. The twins were happily playing with a pile of foam pucks and toy sticks, completely unaware that they had just survived their first real supernatural raid.

Finn pushed a puck across the floor.

“Score!”

Liam pointed dramatically.

“Goal!”

Alex smiled faintly, but his eyes carried the same quiet worry he’d had since the night before.

Lucien noticed.

“They’re resilient,” the archivist said calmly.

Alex looked up.

“They’re toddlers.”

Lucien nodded.

“Even better.”

---

League Pressure

Later that morning, Alex received a call from the front office of the Vancouver Grizzlies.

He stepped onto the porch to answer.

Snow crunched softly under his boots.

“Alex,” the manager said through the phone. “We’ve got a situation.”

Alex sighed.

“Let me guess.”

“You’re trending again.”

Alex closed his eyes briefly.

“Because of the game?”

“Not exactly.”

The manager paused.

“Fans saw the emergency response vehicles outside your cabin last night.”

Alex glanced back toward the house.

“And?”

“And the playoffs start next week.”

Alex leaned against the railing.

“So you’re asking if I’m still playing.”

“Yeah.”

Alex didn’t hesitate.

“I’m playing.”

The manager sounded relieved.

“Good. Because the league already scheduled the first playoff game at Rogers Arena.”

Alex smiled slightly.

“Wouldn’t miss it.”

---

Training Begins

Back inside the cabin, Lucien cleared a space in the living room.

“Time for practice.”

Finn looked excited immediately.

“Hockey?”

Lucien shook his head.

“Power control.”

Liam clapped.

“Magic!”

Jake stood nearby with crossed arms.

“This should be interesting.”

Lucien placed three foam pucks on the floor.

“Liam,” he said gently, “lift one.”

Liam squinted with intense toddler concentration.

The puck wobbled.

Then slowly floated into the air.

Brody leaned against the wall, impressed.

“Kid’s already better than most telekinetics I’ve met.”

Lucien nodded.

“Focus comes naturally to him.”

Then he turned toward Finn.

“Your turn.”

Finn raised his toy stick proudly.

“Boom power!”

Lucien hid a small smile.

“Perhaps.”

Finn pointed dramatically at the floor.

Nothing happened.

Jake chuckled.

“Try sneezing again.”

Finn frowned.

Then

“Achoo!”

The fireplace suddenly flared brighter.

The room temperature dropped slightly.

Thin frost crept across the wooden floor for a split second.

Lucien nodded thoughtfully.

“Yes. Elemental affinity confirmed.”

Brody scratched his head.

“Which element exactly?”

Lucien gestured toward the window.

“Ice.”

---

A Moment of Peace

For the next hour, the cabin filled with laughter as the twins practiced their abilities in simple ways.

Liam lifted small objects and carefully set them down.

Finn unintentionally froze a glass of water.

Jake filmed part of it on his phone.

“Private video,” Alex warned again.

Brody rolled his eyes.

“You’re crushing my social media dreams.”

Alex smirked.

“Good.”

---

The Crown Court Moves Again

Thousands of miles away, in a private chamber high above New York City, the Crown Court gathered around a large circular table.

A holographic projection of the Thorne cabin floated in the center.

The leader watched silently as the footage replayed Finn’s ice burst from the previous night.

“Remarkable,” one member murmured.

Another leaned forward.

“Permission for full retrieval?”

The leader tapped the table thoughtfully.

“Not yet.”

A map of North America appeared beside the cabin image.

Several hockey arenas glowed with small red markers.

The leader smiled faintly.

“Let the season continue.”

Another member looked confused.

“You want them distracted.”

“Exactly.”

The leader’s finger tapped one glowing point on the map.

Rogers Arena.

“The perfect stage.”

---

Playoff Hype

By afternoon, sports media across the city buzzed with playoff excitement.

Fans crowded outside the arena shop.

News anchors discussed Alex’s incredible season.

One commentator laughed.

“Between Alex Thorne’s scoring streak and his famous twins cheering from the box, the Grizzlies might be the most beloved team in the league.”

Another added,

“Those kids are basically mascots now.”

---

A Family Promise

That evening, the cabin was quiet again.

The twins slept peacefully after their long day of skating and practicing.

Alex and Jake sat on the porch together.

Snow drifted gently across the frozen lake.

Jake spoke first.

“You’re really playing next week?”

Alex nodded.

“Hockey is still part of who I am.”

Jake leaned back in his chair.

“You know the Crown Court might attack again.”

Alex looked toward the lake.

“They probably will.”

Jake studied him.

“You’re not worried?”

Alex smiled softly.

“I am.”

He paused.

“But Finn and Liam deserve to see their dad play.”

Jake nodded slowly.

“That’s fair.”

---

The Next Move

Late that night, inside a hidden facility somewhere in North America, the Crown Court prepared their next operation.

Dozens of operatives stood ready.

Weapons were loaded.

Transport vehicles hummed quietly.

The leader addressed them calmly.

“Our target is not the alpha.”

The room remained silent.

“Our target is not the omega.”

He paused.

“Our target… is the legacy.”

A large screen lit up.

The image of Finn and Liam appeared.

The leader’s voice dropped slightly.

“Retrieve the heirs.”

---

A Quiet Ending

Back at the cabin, the twins slept peacefully in their room.

Finn clutched his toy hockey stick.

Liam held his favorite foam puck.

Outside, the frozen lake shimmered faintly under the moonlight.

The same ice that had awakened Finn’s strange power.

And far beyond the mountains surrounding Vancouver, the Crown Court’s forces were already moving.

The playoffs were about to begin.

And so was the real war.