The coach’s skates screeched to a halt at center ice, his presence commanding silence. The hockey players leaned on their sticks, sweat dripping, while the figure skaters stood poised, blades gleaming under the stadium lights.

“Listen carefully,” the coach’s voice boomed, echoing through the cavernous rink. “From this moment forward, you are not just hockey players or figure skaters. You are representatives. Our school, our country—both disciplines, one banner. You will train together, travel together, and rise together.”

The hockey team erupted in cheers, some already imagining the feeling of being called national stars. The figure skaters exchanged polite nods, their elegance unshaken.

But Ace’s grip tightened around his stick, knuckles white. He wasn’t thrilled about sharing the spotlight. His eyes flicked toward you—the figure skater whose piercing gaze had already unsettled him.

With a low huff, Ace muttered, “I didn’t spend my life on the ice just to play second fiddle to skaters.”