All Chapters of Hearts on Ice: Chapter 101 - Chapter 110

The next morning started peacefully… which was suspicious. It was very suspicious because nothing about this tournament had been peaceful for a while.The breakfast room remained unusually quiet. Players sat around half asleep, phones in hand, coffee cups scattered across tables, and even Nikola wasn't talking.Coach immediately looked concerned."You looked like dog shit yesterday. Are you sick?" Nikola looked up, his eyes were still swollen."No." Coach narrowed his eyes."Then why are you quiet… and look like dog shit?""I'm reflecting." Coach looked terrified and across the table, Elias sighed."He spent the entire night reading comments." And immediately Coach relaxed."Oh." That made sense. Unfortunately—Nikola suddenly gasped, a dramatic one. The entire room jumped, "What?" Joshua asked. Nikola shoved his phone across the table."LOOK." Nobody wanted to, but he showed them anyway. A sports article, another one, then another, and suddenly, every headline was about Lukas and V

The arena looked bigger today, but Lukas knew it wasn't. He knew the building hadn't magically changed overnight, but somehow it felt different and it was all in his head. He tried to blame it on anything else and not the fear… maybe because today wasn't another game, maybe because today was the game.The championship banner hung above the ice, and it was bright and massive, absolutely impossible to ignore.Players filled the locker room, but nobody spoke much. The usual noise was gone. No arguments, no shouting, and no Nikola trying to start a fight over absolutely nothing and even Elias looked nervous, which honestly felt wrong.The sound of skates scraping against the floor echoed through the room as equipment shifted, and tape wrapped around sticks, but this time, nobody laughed and nobody joked.Nobody wanted to be the first person to admit they were scared even when they looked it.Lukas sat quietly while tightening his gloves. Across from him, Viktor adjusted the tape around hi

Suddenly, the game refused to end and that was the first thing everybody realized. The clock kept moving, time kept going…the crowd kept screaming. Even the players kept skating but nobody scored.Nobody. The scoreboard remained frozen.3–3.The trophy sat somewhere nearby, gleaming beneath bright lights while twenty exhausted players slowly killed themselves trying to reach it.Lukas could barely feel his legs anymore. His lungs still burned and his cheststill hurt.Even breathing felt expensive now and across the ice Viktor looked no better.Every movement looked like a decrease in his lifespan yet somehow—He was still playing. Still chasing and still fighting. Like he was running on pure stubbornness and glucose.."YOU NEED TO STOP." Lukas yelled and Viktor immediately yelled back."NO.""YOUR SHOULDER.""NO.""THAT'S NOT AN ARGUMENT.""IT IS TODAY." And somehow they continued playing because apparently neither of them knew how to quit.The clock continued moving.Eight minutes.S

The interview should have ended there…it really should have. The reporter looked exhausted, Coach looked deceased and Nikola looked completely satisfied with himself… which was usually a terrible sign."Thank you for your time," the reporter finally said."You're welcome.""You were not helpful.""I tried.""You absolutely didn't.""I did my best."The reporter stared at him for several seconds before turning around and walking away but Nikola still looked pleased but Elias looked tired.The championship continued around them. Players moved everywhere, cameras flashed endlessly and the crowd still hadn't completely left the arena. The celebration seemed determined to continue forever.Then somehow—Elias looked around and Nikola had disappeared and at first nobody thought about it too much. Then Elias realized… Nikola never walks off, especially not now.Because Nikola had scored the championship-winning goal approximately thirty minutes ago and now he was nowhere to be found."Elias?

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 saved this university.""You won a championship.""Exactly." Viktor tilted his head slightly,"Those…are not the same thing.""They are today." Several students cheered and Nikola pointed dramatically."NO CLASSES." The cheering doubled."SEE?""You didn't cancel them.""I inspired them.""You scored a few goals." Nikola gasped and dramatically placed a hand on his chest."The important goal." Viktor sighed and Nikola turned around like he was ready to launch himself on him."The final goal." "The championship goal.""The goal.""...okay that's fair."The college had cancelled lectures for the afternoon and it was not because of Nikola. Mostly because half the student population had abandoned