The cold light of the following morning's dawn filtered mercilessly through the large window of the coffee shop near the high-performance training center. Jake held the warm coffee mug between his hands, but not to drink; he was using it to warm his fingers, stiff from the cold and lack of sleep. Across from him, analyzing the tablet screen where the disastrous live fall played over and over again, was Taishi Takahashi, Bek's coach.
Taishi, a middle-aged man with an implacable gaze who had guided several skaters to the world podium, adjusted his glasses and paused the video at the exact millisecond Bek's right skate touched the frozen surface.
"The body axis was correct, Jake," Taishi said, his voice low but firm, carrying that analytical composure that characterized him. "The rotation speed was perfect for the triple. A skater with Aibek's muscle memory doesn't lose their footing like that unless the metal gives way."
