Chapter Five: The Wrong Save

Shen saw a dimmer path too. If he deliberately allowed the first shot, the game would end. Gao would be safe. The streak—and perhaps Echo's calibration—would break. The shot came. Shen chose the dim path and moved half a beat late. The puck did not enter. Gao swept it away from the side. Another attacker struck him, sending him sliding along the exact angle Shen had foreseen. The future he tried to prevent arrived on time. Shen launched himself between Gao and the post. The collision tore through his left shoulder. Gao rolled across his pads with only a sprained knee. Shen lay still, unable to hear his own heart. Echo forced a connection.