Chapter 196

CASSIAN'S POV

The harsh, fluorescent stadium lights beat down on the ice, casting long shadows across the rink as the whistle blew, signaling the end of an exhausting, grueling hockey practice session.

Sweat rolled down my neck beneath my heavy pads, my muscles aching, but I barely felt the physical strain. My mind had been a chaotic mess for weeks, and the ice was the only place I could somewhat