Chapter 24 #3
The next day, Alisa watched Tora and Loke’s short program, and during the warm-up she found herself remembering how great it had been to skate with Lev and how much she missed him.
She decided to send him a video message of the skaters’ warm-up, the same six-minute segment before the performance, and he immediately responded:
Lev: You know, we could do better!
Alisa giggled, because she had just recorded a perfect triple throw from the Tora and Loke.
Alisa: Yes, definitely, we would have taken first place at the Olympics!
Lev: That’s what I’m talking about?!!
After a pause, while the warm-up was still going on, Alisa thought about it for a moment and then returned to her phone, noticing that Lev had sent her another message:
Lev: How are you doing? Are you worried about your performance tomorrow?
Alisa pursed her lips and swallowed nervously as the first pair was announced to take the ice.
Alisa: Yes, as usual… I’m afraid of not meeting the coach’s expectations…
Lev: I’m sure you’ll do your best, but when you jump, when the moment is the most terrifying and you feel that jolt in your heart, just jump.
Alisa: Yes… when it’s the most terrifying, you have to jump…
This was one of Alisa’s favorite quotes about figure skating, and Lev subtly reminded her of it. He was right. She needed to focus and give her best in the short program, but it was still difficult to fully suppress the anxiety tightening in her chest.
Lev: You’ll do great, really! I’m here for you! And I’ll be watching the livestream through the service… I had to pay to watch my favorite figure skating partner!
Alisa smiled to herself.
Alisa: No refunds if you see the worst performance of my career everrrrrr.
Lev: Spit there, quickly!
It was one of the superstitions where you’re not allowed to talk badly about yourself before a competition or something really important.
Alisa spat three times over her shoulder and even tapped her head, because there was no tree nearby, she was supposed to knock on wood, technically.
Anything to ward off bad words and the scenarios that could cling to her like bad luck.
Alisa: Ready, I’m free of superstitions!
Lev: My girl!
Alisa: Thank you for your support…
Lev: Always!
Lev: By the way… Tora and Loke are already on the ice…
Alisa lifted her head from her phone and stared toward the rink as the athletes stepped out. Tora waved to the arena with her usual confidence and followed Loke with that effortless grace and charm that made the crowd immediately erupt into applause.
For the short program, they were wearing black outfits decorated with white sequins.
Tora’s dress was stunning, highlighting her strong, athletic lines, the kind of presence Alisa always joked she could recognize from across the ice.
She let out a small laugh at herself, because honestly all it took was one glance and she was completely gone.
Alisa pursed her lips and kept watching the ice.
That’s when Anfisa joined her, looking like she had just sprinted a marathon. She slid into the viewing area with two coffees, handing one to Alisa.
“Here. As you like it.”
“Good luck to your girlfriend by the way.”
“Shh…” Alisa hissed immediately, blushing, glancing around even though the arena was loud enough to swallow their voices whole.
Anfisa only chuckled, then raised her cup slightly. “To the success of our skating.”
They clinked cups seriously and took a few sips. The coffee was good, too good for a day like this.
Then Alisa’s attention snapped back to the ice, where Tora and Loke were already standing at center rink, ready to begin their short program.
“Listen,” Anfisa leaned closer again, eyes locked on the ice, “that blond guy looks cute… is he single?”
“Since when do you like blonds? And figure skaters?” Alisa laughed under her breath.
“Since right now. Look how good he is. And he’s Norwegian, I’m sure he has a huge co—”
“Shh! Can we not talk about men’s… things… ew…”
“You can’t just stop me from—”
“You can absolutely stop yourself from imagining men mid-competition,” Alisa muttered, wrinkling her nose as Anfisa giggled beside her.
“Come on, like you’ve never thought about it!”
“No! I haven’t! I’m into— I like—”
“Girls, I know,” Anfisa nodded knowingly.
“Look, they’re starting their first element!”
Alisa didn’t notice that the music had already started playing in the background, some kind of classical piece she didn’t immediately recognize.
Tora and Loke successfully landed a triple twist level 3, Tora spinning in the air several times before dropping perfectly into Loke’s arms. He caught her cleanly and set her back onto the ice like she weighed nothing at all.
They immediately took each other’s hands, accelerated, and went straight into a throw jump—a triple lutz—landing it cleanly.
The audience exploded into applause.
Then the music shifted tempo, becoming faster, and they flowed into their step sequence, changing edges and blades from outside to inside and back again, skating deep, technical steps with absolute precision.
From the Rittberger steps alone, it was obvious they were going to get maximum levels with their own perfect grace, speed and synchronization. It was unreal.
They lifted one leg in sync, almost playful, and then launched into a perfectly timed triple salchow, drawing another wave of applause from the crowd.
And because they were smiling through it all—no, not just smiling ,they were beaming—they seemed to almost bounce into the next transition. Still holding hands, they accelerated again through flowing edge work.
Loke then guided Tora into a supported movement sequence, taking her by one hand, then the other, before launching her over his shoulder.
She rotated above him cleanly, landing into a controlled position behind him, even though she was slightly taller, almost hovering above his frame for a moment before settling into the movement.
They began a synchronized spin, Tora arched slightly into a lateral split position, her body stretched like a drawn bow. She shifted her grip with Loke mid-rotation, flowing seamlessly from one position to another, her body suspended and then supported again as he turned.
At one point she leaned back across him, one arm extended elegantly behind her, before being pulled back in, their bodies reconnecting in tight synchronization. He held her at the waist, and they rotated together chest to back, before he gently set her back onto the ice.
They clasped wrists, she dropped into a deep lean, and flowed into a swallow-like position. He pulled her in, lifted her slightly, and they returned seamlessly to footwork.
A small jump, a controlled knee slide on the ice, hands raised overhead, then they rose together again, stepping into a mohawk sequence and immediately into synchronized twizzles, perfectly parallel.
Then came a highlight: Loke lifted Tora onto his shoulder, and with a sharp controlled motion, she rotated off him in a backflip-like assisted transition before landing cleanly back onto the ice.
The arena erupted.
Twizzles again. Acceleration again.
Then the death spiral entry, but it wasn’t standard, not even close. Tora launched into the entry with a split-like motion in the air while still connected to Loke’s hand, dropping smoothly into the spiral. The crowd reacted instantly with loud, stunned, almost disbelieving applause.
They flowed into a synchronized sit spin in pistol position, side by side.
Then into a layback variation and a half-Billman extension, finishing with flowing rotations that blurred into the music.
A few final steps, a shared lean into each other’s backs like an embrace—
And the music ended.
The arena erupted in applause.
The first program of the day was over.
They performed it without a single mistake… and ended up in first place among all the pairs who skated that day.
Alisa saw Tora smiling at her from the ice, but it wasn’t the kind of smile she gave to the audience. It was softer and more private, almost playful in the way it reached her eyes, like it was meant only for her.
Alisa’s lips pressed together. Her cheeks warmed instantly, and she bit her lip before finally smiling back.
Tora and Loke rolled into the Kiss & Cry area, waiting for the judges’ scores.
They had done it.
And Alisa’s heart told her they were going to win gold. She was genuinely happy for Tora, truly happy in a way that surprised even her, because she had wanted this for so long. The Olympic gold medal… it meant everything to her.
And for a moment, Alisa allowed herself to think that maybe it was for the best they weren’t competing against each other here.
She couldn’t imagine standing across from Tora at the Olympics, chasing the same medal, the same dream.
Somehow, life had placed them side by side instead of opposite each other and Alisa found herself quietly grateful for that.
Tora and Loke stayed surrounded by family, coaches, and teammates afterward, the celebration already swallowing them whole.
Alisa wanted to go over and congratulate her in person on the first-place finish of the day, but there were too many people, too much noise, too many hands pulling Tora in every direction. So in the end, she never made it through the crowd.
That evening, she congratulated her through a message instead.
Alisa: congratulations on the high scores for the short program… and the gold in the short!
Tora: that’s for now.
Alisa: what do you mean “for now”? You’re going to take gold tomorrow! Where’s your spirit?!
Tora: I think I was bitten by a girl with dark hair and brown eyes… her name starts with A…
Alisa: I didn’t bite you!
Tora: Oh, I wish I could be bitten right now.
Alisa: It’s time to sleep. You have a performance tomorrow!
Tora: Okay, boss. Good night. I hope we can spend the evening together tomorrow…
Alisa: I don’t know… I have a performance the day after you, and I need to get a good night’s sleep, your spirit included!
Tora: Spoil sport…
Alisa: Good night…
Tora: Nighty night.