"It's fine. Just stiff from the drive."
He doesn't look convinced. Neither does Leitner.
The Finals branding is everywhere. Banners. Posters. Screens flashing highlights and standings. I should feel excited. Motivated. Ready.
Instead, I just feel... heavy.
Thomas steps off the bus behind me, stretches, grins at the mountains. "Ready for this?"
"Yeah."
"Knee good?"
"Yeah."
He studies me for a second, then claps me on the shoulder. "Let's get you a globe, then."
I nod. Don't answer.
Leitner motions us toward the team accommodations. I grab my bag, sling it over one shoulder, and follow.
The brace digs into my skin with every step.
***
ÉLISE
I sit in the back of the shuttle with my laptop bag on my knees, staring out the window as the Lenzerheide venue comes into view. Banners. Crowds. Race tents. The finish area is already buzzing even though the races don't start until tomorrow.
"First assignment," says Marco, the senior PR manager sitting across from me. "Nervous?"
"A little."
"Don't be. You'll do great. Just keep the athletes happy, keep the media fed, and don't let anyone cry on camera. You’re here to learn the ropes not to make decisions,"
I smile. Nod. My Vektor jacket feels stiff and new, the lanyard around my neck still unfamiliar.
The shuttle pulls into the accreditation zone. I grab my bag, follow Marco out, and immediately scan the crowd.
I don't mean to. But I do.
A flash of red. Austrian team track suit. Someone tall, moving stiffly, favoring one leg.
My chest tightens.
Nico.
He's across the venue, near the team buses, surrounded by coaches and staff. I can't see his face from here. Just the shape of him. The way he moves.
"Élise?" Marco is waiting by the tent entrance.
I turn away. Follow him inside.
My first task is checking in at the Vektor hospitality tent. Laptops. Charging stations. Coffee machine. A wall of screens showing live feeds from different angles of the course.
"This is home base," Marco says. "Athletes will rotate through for content shoots and sponsor meet-and-greets. Your job is to keep them on schedule and make sure they're not miserable."
"Got it."
