The air in the center of the rink seemed to have frozen completely the instant Bek reached the peak of his elevation in the air. The three and a half rotations of the Triple Axel were executed with a clean, desperate symmetry, defying gravity beneath the white light of the Skate America spotlights. However, the true technical hell awaited on the descent. Upon making definitive contact with the surface, the blade of his right skate struck the hard ice with a strident scrape. The frayed ligaments of his ankle, strained by the medical compression brace, protested with a spike of pain so violent that the brunette's face contorted into a grimace of pure agony.
The inside edge gave way. The boot vibrated dangerously, and Bek's body leaned to the left, inevitably losing his vertical axis of rotation.
