Chapter 27 #3
And then they went into a chain of steps, gently taking each other by the waist as they moved in perfect connection, and they began a joint three-turn sequence, a one-foot turn where they rotated forward, then into another three-turn, and then back again in reverse, flowing seamlessly as if the edge itself was carrying them, and after that they broke apart into fast twizzles across the ice, their skirts and costume layers spinning around them in flashes of color under the bright spotlights.
Then they separated again, only for Tora to extend her hand back toward Alisa and whisper, “death spiral.”
On the chorus, they entered it smoothly, with Alisa lowering into position while Tora guided their shared rotation with steady control, their movement tightening into a dramatic arc across the ice, and then, without breaking flow, Tora lifted Alisa out of it, pulling her back up into her arms with ease. Now fully embracing her with true love.
Alisa smiled at her, soft and breathless, and gently pushed away just enough to create space again before rolling out into motion and launching into a split jump across the ice.
Tora caught up immediately, closing the distance from behind and wrapping her arms around Alisa’s waist, turning her gently back toward herself, and Alisa responded with a small smile and a nod.
Tora lifted her overhead and spun with her above the ice, and Alisa extended her body into a Biellmann position while still supported in Tora’s arms, holding the shape with control even as they rotated together as one unit.
The arena roared and erupted into continuous applause, the sound rising and breaking like a wave that refused to settle, completely overwhelmed by what they were witnessing.
They clung to each other again in a step sequence and simply glided across the ice together, moving in quiet synchronization, looking at each other with loving eyes that made the audience visibly shudder with emotion all over the arena, as if the entire space had been pulled into the same feeling at once, and the performance itself became something far beyond technique, something incredibly sincere and almost overwhelming in its honesty.
Then, without breaking flow, they decided to go for a harder element—a more powerful throw.
Alisa was used to it, of course, but she hadn’t done it in a while, and for a brief moment she nervously pursed her lips, feeling that small flicker of hesitation in her chest.
But Tora didn’t hesitate at all.
Her expression stayed calm, completely focused in a way that immediately grounded Alisa again, and that silence in her confidence was enough to replace fear with trust.
Tora took her gently by the waist at first, and then tightened her grip with controlled strength, anchoring her fully before launching her into the air in one clean motion.
And Alisa spun.
One. Two. Three. Four.
Four full rotations.
Perfect axis. Clean speed. Controlled flight.
She landed successfully on her right foot, absorbing the impact cleanly, then immediately lifted her left leg into the air while spreading her arms wide, holding the position with confidence.
The arena erupted instantly, roaring in applause and cheers.
Suddenly, the music cut into a brief pause—a moment of silence—and they stopped on opposite sides of the rink looking at each other, both of them standing there with their breaths caught in their chests, goosebumps spreading over their skin under the cold arena air, their mouths slightly parted as they could only see each other across that entire distance of ice between them, and in that silence Alisa suddenly remembered everything at once: their first meeting, every argument, every glance, every step that had somehow led them here, and it all came crashing through her mind like a flood of memories she couldn’t stop.
In that moment it felt like all of it had always been pointing here, as if it was meant to be, as if it was always supposed to happen exactly like this, as if it was fate itself pulling them together, and then, without any more hesitation, they skated towards each other at the same time.
Alisa literally jumped straight into Tora’s arms, and Tora caught her instantly, and they spun together across the ice in one continuous motion, completely wrapped into each other as if they had never been separate at all.
And then, coming out of the rotation, they deliberately rolled forward on their knees toward each other, the distance between them now almost nonexistent, and in that tight space they reached up and grabbed each other’s faces, pulling in at the same time as their lips met in a kiss.
The arena immediately exploded with applause, the entire crowd rising from their seats in a single wave of noise and movement as if the ice itself had shattered into sound.
Reporters and journalists shouted over the chaos, cameras flashing everywhere, “This is an enchanting performance by two champions of the 2026 Olympics! Did you capture this legendary moment? Women’s figure skating has never seen anything like this at the Olympic Games—two women, two champions, making history in front of the entire world! ”