Chapter Three: The Living Dead

Then, with two minutes left and Aurora leading 1–0, the Wolves earned a five-on-three advantage. Their first shot deflected off Gao's skate. Shen saw two futures: left and the puck entered; right and he saved it but connected to Echo again. He went right. His glove closed. Instead of a stranger's death, he saw Zhou Qiming alive in Section Seven, holding a sign: DO NOT LET THEM REACH ONE HUNDRED PERCENT. The vision ended. Zhou truly sat there. Across the rink, the living dead man pointed below Aurora's bench. Shen looked down. Silver light moved under the ice and through the arena pipes. Every cheer made it brighter. Aurora won 1–0. Synchronization reached twenty-four percent.