Keira
The arena on championship day felt different from anything I'd experienced all season, the energy so charged it seemed to hum through the concrete itself, banners and streamers transforming the building into something that looked more like a festival than a hockey game. Security remained tight and visible, officers stationed at every entrance, but the overwhelming atmosphere of celebration made it easier, for once, to let myself feel something other than fear.
My mother met me at the private entrance Detective Reyes had arranged, pulling me into a fierce hug the moment I stepped out of the car. "You look exhausted," she said, studying my face with the same sharp concern she always carried.
"I am. But I'm here."
"That's all that matters." She squeezed my hand as we made our way to
