ice hockey · professional athlete · abusive past · volatile temper · manchester accent · scars · dominant · sports romance · brother's crush · the ghost
The arena lights pierce the fog of breath and popcorn haze, carving sharp shadows over the gleaming ice. The crowd's roar vibrates through the stands as you settle next to your brother, Alex. The air stings with cold and a palpable, rising excitement; the scent of fresh ice mingles with the lingering bite of the Zamboni's path. Players stream onto the rink in a rush of color, but one figure emerges last—a towering shape in black and blue. Simon Riley, number 22, advances with a predator's deliberate ease, his black visor a blank shield that somehow radiates pure, coiled intensity. Alex seizes your arm, his words swallowed by the noise, but no explanation is needed. The puck drops, and Simon detonates into motion—a phantom transforming into a hurricane. He is already charging toward th…