LOGINNobody talked on the walk back. Not because they had nothing to say, but because everybody had already imagined losing in completely different ways. Everyone went up to their rooms to get well rested.For the first time, Nikola didn't come to interrupt. It was the slowest, heaviest five hours of their life.Lukas turned to Viktor,“Do you think we can win?” Viktor smiled weakly.“No… I don't.” The moment he said it, Lukas pulled him in for a hug. Viktor was shaking underneath him and Lukas didn't understand.“What happened?” Viktor cleaned his eyes and looked up at Lukas.“They hurt people… what if I'm next?” Lukas's eyes saddened, he didn't realize that was what was on his mind. His shoulder, he hadn't asked about it in a while.He simply smiled and squeezed tighter around Viktor's waist.“You won't get hurt, okay?” Viktor nodded but deep down, he knew he'd be an easy target since everyone playing practically knew he had a bad shoulder.Somewhere down the hall, Nikola sat on Elias' l
"Why are they staring?" Adrian asked it quietly but unfortunately, the room was far too quiet for any quiet questions. Almost every head turned toward him.And not because he'd spoken loudly but because everybody else had been silently looking at the Frost Wolves ever since they walked through the doors.The conference hall was enormous.Long rows of tables stretched from one end of the room to the other, each one carrying a different country's flag while giant television screens hung from the ceiling displaying today's schedule.Players filled almost every seat already. Some wore full tracksuits with their country's emblem stitched proudly across the chest while others had already changed into training gear and some just wore casual shirts and trousers.Everybody looked... oddly professional. Except one table—The Frost Wolves.Nikola had somehow arrived wearing two different socks and his shirt was stained with whatever he ate, nobody could tell anymore. Joshua was still carrying hal
The next morning should have been peaceful. If it didn't start with a disaster. The first knock wasn't actually a knock. It sounded more like the owner of the hotel had made it a mission to kick them out today. If they didn't know their teammates, they'd panic.BANG.Then another round of knocks.BANG."Captain!" The voice sounded familiar, oddly familiar but Lukas did not answer. "LUKAS!" The voice grew even angrier but he still said nothing."If you don't open this door I'm assuming both of you died."Inside the room, Lukas didn't even move. He had one arm lazily wrapped around Viktor while Viktor remained face-down against the pillow, completely refusing to acknowledge the outside world, or Nikola."Don't.""Hm?""Don't breathe." Lukas laughed into the pillow."That's not how hiding works.""It can." Another bang rattled the door and this one genuinely scared them."LUKAS!""Go away.""I brought breakfast.""Leave it outside.""I already ate half.""Then definitely go away." He pa
The referee barely lowered his arm before Nikola threw both gloves into the air."I'M ALIVE!" One glove landed somewhere near center ice and the other hit a referee."Sorry!"The referee didn't even look offended anymore. He simply picked it up, handed it back and continued skating away like he'd already accepted this was just the kind of team they were. Joshua reached Lukas first."No way." He grabbed both sides of Lukas' helmet. "NO FUCKIN WAY." Before Lukas could answer, Adrian crashed into both of them from the side."We won!""I noticed!""No…you don't understand!""I literally played the game!""I DON'T THINK YOU UNDERSTAND!" Then everybody arrived at once. Helmets bumped together, somebody screamed, somebody else almost fell over.Nikola somehow ended up hugging Elias despite spending the entire morning annoying him."I NEVER DOUBTED US!".Joshua looked at him."I remember you tried to fake food poisoning.""I GREW.""When?" Nikola paused and scratched the back of his hair."Dur
The whistle barely finished echoing before everything changed. The team wearing blue didn't bother pretending anymore, the careful passing from the first half disappeared entirely as their captain slammed straight into Adrian before the puck had even reached him.CRASH.Glass shook and the crowd roared. Adrian stumbled hard enough for one skate to leave the ice before catching himself on the boards."...oh." Nikola blinked."They're allowed to do that?""They're allowed to do worse," Coach answered quietly from the bench. Lukas had already recovered the puck.But there was no time to complain, no time to look back and no time to wait. He pushed forward immediately. Viktor skated parallel to him while Aiden drifted wider toward the right wing. The defense collapsed exactly the way Lukas wanted.Good. All they had to do was leave Viktor open. He pushed once, twice and the defender committed. It was going perfectly.He slipped the puck backwards without looking and Viktor was already th
"WAIT." And suddenly, everybody stopped halfway through the tunnel. Coach turned around slowly."What now?" And Nikola looked down at his skates."I forgot how to skate." Nobody answered him. Joshua blinked."What?""I think I forgot.""You have skates in your hands.""I know.""You've been skating for years.""I know.""So what exactly did you forget?" He paused,"Everything." Coach closed his eyes."Fantastic.""I'm serious.""I know you are." Nikola pointed toward the arena where thousands of people were still screaming."Did you hear that?""Unfortunately.""They're loud.""They are.""I don't think my legs work anymore." Coach looked around."Does anybody else's legs not work?" Nobody answered. "Excellent."The silence somehow made everything worse. Lukas adjusted the tape around his glove for what had to be the fifth time in the last three minutes while Viktor quietly reached over and pushed his hand away."You've already fixed it.""I know." But he didn't stop."You've fixed it
The problem started at exactly ten thirty-seven in the morning. Nikola knew the exact time because his entire life changed at ten thirty-seven in the morning.He was eating cereal and it was not even good cereal, the cheap kind for poor people, then his phone buzzed.He looked down lazily, expectin
The first thing Nikola did after entering campus was declare himself a hero. Not a hockey hero…not even a sports hero.Just—"A hero." And unfortunately hundreds of students heard him and supported the behavior. Lukas was shocked by the display but even more shocked by people supporting him."I sav
The silence didn’t sit for long before it shattered. Lukas moved first, not thinking or anything. His body just reacted before his mind could catch up, skates cutting sharply against the ice as he pushed forward. His eyes held an expression none had seen. A few of the players turned, confused, but
“I’m sorry dad… I’m sorry!” he screamed louder. The words barely came out of his small mouth, as he tripped over. His fists trembled against the cold floor.“I didn’t mean to! I’ll do better!” He cried out. “I swear I’ll do better!”Another vicious whip tore against his back making him cry louder.







