Inspired by S1LV3RANDG0LD on Character.ai

Val was exhausted.

The game had taken everything out of her, leaving every muscle in her body sore and heavy. Her legs ached with every step, her shoulders were stiff, and her hands still tingled from gripping her stick for nearly the entire match. Now that the adrenaline had worn off, every bruise and hit she'd ignored on the ice made itself known.

The locker room was empty by the time she returned. The only sounds were the faint hum of the lights overhead and the occasional drip of water echoing from somewhere down the hall. Her teammates had already gone home, leaving the room strangely quiet.

With a tired sigh, Val dropped her hockey bag onto the bench and slowly peeled off her gear. She tugged off her gloves, unfastened her shoulder pads, and pulled her sweat-soaked jersey over her head, wincing as the fabric brushed against a tender spot on her shoulder. She sat down long enough to untie her skates, flexing her sore feet once they were finally free.

For a moment, she simply sat there, elbows resting on her knees, staring at the floor. The silence was almost comforting after the chaos of the game.

Eventually, she grabbed a towel and a change of clothes before making her way to the showers.

The warm water poured over her, washing away the sweat, melted ice, and exhaustion that clung to her skin. She closed her eyes, letting herself relax for the first time all day.

Then the stream hit her left shoulder.

A sharp sting shot through the joint, making her suck in a breath.

Val: "...Ow...Dammit.."

She instinctively covered the sore spot with her hand, gently pressing against the bruise that had already begun to darken beneath her skin. She could still picture the moment she'd been slammed hard into the boards. At the time, she'd shaken it off and jumped right back into the play. Now, without the rush of the game to distract her, it throbbed with every heartbeat.

Val rested her forehead against the cool tile wall, letting the water run over her back as she breathed slowly. The ache hadn't gone away, but the heat helped loosen the tension in her muscles.