THE NEW SHADOW
THE NEW SHADOW
1. THE BIRTHDAY
This chapter will be released on May 31, 2026.
Shane climbed the long flight of stairs with his breathing still uneven. He’d run harder than usual, and sweat clung his T-shirt to his skin. He pulled out his keys as he walked down the hallway, not thinking about anything in particular. Reached the door. Slid the key in. Turned it. Walked inside. Everything was dark. He frowned and stepped farther in. And then he noticed it. The smell of food.
The lights snapped on.
—Happy birthday!
Hollander jerked back.
—What the fuck?
Balloons. Colors. The table fully set. Duna stood by the kitchen with a smile somewhere between emotional and excited. David, already sitting down, lifted his wine glass like he’d started celebrating early. And there, too, was the love of his life. Calm. Looking at him like all of this was completely normal.
Shane looked from one person to the next, still processing.
—How did you even get in here?
—That was me,” Duna said. “I gave him the key.
Shane slowly turned his head.
—You gave him… my key?
—Somebody had to do something,” she replied. “You obviously weren’t going to organize anything.”
David laughed.
—He never does.
Hollander shook his head, still stunned, then looked back at Ilya.
—Since when are you this close with my parents?
Ilya stepped toward him, unhurried.
—Since they decided to adopt me.
Duna glanced at him.
—Don’t exaggerate.
A faint smile pulled at his mouth.
—You call me “son” two days ago.
Duna paused.
—…Well, yes. Of course.
Shane let out a short laugh, still thrown off by all of it. Ilya moved a little closer.
—You are mess.
—Shut up.
Ilya lifted a hand and touched his cheek without hesitation. Hollander hesitated for half a second. Then leaned in. The kiss was brief, but enough.
—Alright,” Duna interrupted. “Are you going to change your clothes or will you stay like that?
—I’ll be back. Gonna shower real quick.
He brushed past Ilya, their shoulders barely touching.
When he came back, wearing clean clothes and his favorite T-shirt, the apartment already felt alive. Low music. Duna finishing up in the kitchen. David already eating. Ilya standing there opening drawers like he knew exactly where everything was. Shane stared at him for a second.
—Since when do you know where I keep my stuff?
—Since you don’t know how organize your kitchen.
David burst out laughing.
—I like him.
—David!” Duna said.
—What?
Shane walked over, leaned close to Ilya’s ear.
—Asshole.
They sat down. Duna across from Shane. David beside her. Ilya next to Shane. Duna served him food without even asking.
—Eat.
—I’m not starving.
—Eat anyway.
Ilya grabbed the wine bottle and poured for Duna first. Then David. Then Shane. Himself last. Duna watched him for a second.
—Thank you… Ilya.
There was a tiny pause before his name.
David broke the silence.
—So how do people celebrate birthdays in Russia?
He shrugged.
—Depends. Sometimes big. Sometimes nothing.
—Same here, apparently,” David said. “As you can see.
—Hey,” Shane replied.
—Is true,” the Russian added. “He never does anything.”
—Oh, shut up, both of you.
Duna stepped in.
—And your family? Do they celebrate like this?
Ilya looked at the table. Then at her.
—Not like this.
—Then we’ll have to do it again.
He smiled softly.
—I like that.
Hollander lowered his gaze to his plate and took a bite.
—It’s good.
Duna looked offended.
—“It’s good”? It’s delicious, because I made it.
David laughed.
—You’re in trouble, son.
Ilya watched all of it quietly. Comfortable. Relaxed. Like he’d always belonged at that table. Shane noticed. And even though he said nothing, something shifted inside him. Satisfaction. But also, a faint discomfort. Like everything was happening faster than he’d expected.
The atmosphere softened after that. Easy conversations. Laughter. Wine. Nothing forced. Nothing heavy. For a moment… everything felt easy. Normal. Like nothing existed beyond that table.
!!!Ding dong!!!
The doorbell cut through the moment. Shane lifted his head.
—Were you expecting someone?
Duna shook her head. David too. Ilya took another sip of wine. Shane stood, walked to the door, looked through the peephole—
—and froze.
—Fuck.
He didn’t open the door right away. Just stood there staring through the peephole like he needed another second to understand what he was seeing. Balloons. A cake. Hayden. Alone. His stomach twisted.
—Fuck,” he repeated.
Behind him, the table had gone silent.
—Who is it?” David asked.
Shane didn’t answer.
He opened the door. And for a second… words failed him.
—I… uh…
Nothing.
Hayden lifted the cake with a half-smile.
—Happy birthday.
Shane stared at him, still not fully reacting.
—…Yeah.
Pause.
—Figured nobody would remember you, weirdo, ‘’Hayden added with a small shrug’’. So, I came.
There was an awkward silence. Shane blinked.
—Yeah, I… I didn’t know…
He never finished the sentence. Didn’t know how to.
—Can I come in?
Another pause. Longer this time. Longer than it should’ve been. Shane wasn’t thinking anymore. Just reacting. He stepped aside.
—…Yeah. Of course.
Hayden walked in and the atmosphere changed immediately. Not abruptly. Subtly. But heavy.
Duna stood almost instantly.
—Hayden,” she said warmly as she walked over.
She hugged him.
David got up too.
—Thanks for coming, Hayden,” he said, squeezing his shoulder. “Seriously.”
—Of course… didn’t want him spending it alone.
David smiled.
—We appreciate it.
—And your family?” Duna asked.
—Stayed home,” he replied. “My wife’s with the kids. I just came by for a little while.”
—You did good,” David said.
Shane was still standing there. Still. Like he hadn’t fully caught up to the moment yet. Then Hayden looked around. The table. The glasses. The balloons. And finally: Ilya Rozanov. He stopped there. One second. Two. He knew who he was. But for a moment, he looked genuinely shocked.
—…Rozanov?
It wasn’t really a question. But it wasn’t fully a statement either.
The Russian didn’t move.
—Ilya Rozanov, ‘’Hayden added, like he was piecing it together in his head’’.
Silence settled over the room. Ilya looked directly at him, completely unfazed.
—Yeah… you know who I am.
Not aggressive. But not friendly either. Just clear. Too clear. And Shane swallowed hard.
—He’s… uh…
He started talking, then stopped. He had no idea how to finish that sentence. And nobody helped him.
They went back to the table. Hayden sat down slowly, observing everything. Measuring it. Duna took control of the situation again. The soft music still played quietly in the background.
—Sit, please.
David poured more wine.
—There’s always too much food here.
—I can see that,” Hayden replied.
Ilya already had the bottle in his hand. He poured Hayden a glass without asking. Naturally. Too naturally. Hayden noticed.
—Looks like you know your way around here pretty well.
Ilya lifted his gaze.
—I’ve been here before.
—Right.
Hollander cut in quickly.
—We’re working together.
—Yeah?” Hayden asked.
—Yes,” Ilya added. “Some charity thing.”
—Yeah, we came up with an idea. I’ll tell you about it later.
There was a moment of silence, but the conversation kept going. Even if there were pauses where there shouldn’t have been. Looks that lasted a second too long. Answers that felt too carefully measured. Hayden barely talked. He watched. Too much. And then Ilya made a subtle gesture, almost invisible to Shane. Just the slightest tilt of his head. But Shane understood immediately.
Ilya stood first.
—Excuse me.
He didn’t explain further and he left.
The bathroom wasn’t visible from the table. That helped. A little.
Shane tried to stay seated. One second. Two. Couldn’t do it. He stood up.
—I’ll… be right back.
Too obvious. Too fast. Hayden noticed. Didn’t say anything. But he saw everything.
The bathroom door closed, and the air shifted instantly. Shane leaned back against the door and dragged both hands down his face.
—Fuck… I want to die.
Ilya looked at him calmly.
Too calmly.
He stepped closer.
—I’m not leaving.
—I’m not gonna abandon you. Okay?
Shane looked up. There was something in his eyes. Fear. But something deeper too. He moved closer and held Ilya’s face.
The kiss came slowly. No urgency. No desperation. But heavy. Like it was the only stable thing left in the middle of the chaos. The hands. The breathing. The silence.
Shane rested his forehead against his.
—What are we gonna tell Hayden?
Ilya didn’t answer right away.
Just looked at him.
—The truth?
Shane pulled back slightly.
—Are you insane?
A nervous laugh escaped him.
—Oh my God…
He ran a hand through his hair.
—This is getting out of control.
He slowed his breathing.
—This makes me so uncomfortable…
He looked at him again.
—But with you… it feels lighter.
Ilya said nothing.
Just looked at him.
And somehow, that was enough.
When they walked back out of the bathroom… the atmosphere had changed. Not better. Not worse. Just different. Hayden lifted his eyes and looked at them. Didn’t say anything. But the table didn’t feel the same anymore. Something in his expression had shifted. More attentive. Calmer. More present.
—Everything okay?” he asked.
Shane answered too fast.
—Yeah.
Ilya said nothing. Sat down. Picked up his wine glass like nothing had happened. But something had happened. And somehow… everyone knew it.
Dinner continued. Not perfectly. But it was still nice. The conversations slowly started flowing again, little by little, like everyone had silently agreed to let the earlier moment go.
David was the first to fully break the tension.
—So how are the kids doing, Hayden?
Hayden let out a small laugh, relaxing into his chair.
—Good. Too good, honestly. They’ve got more energy every day.
Duna smiled, interested.
—Still in school?
—Yeah, but this weekend we went camping.
David raised his eyebrows.
—Oh yeah? How’d that go?
Hayden made a slight face, remembering it.
—Fun… but I wouldn’t do it again.
Duna laughed softly.
—That bad?
—No, not bad,” he said. “The kids loved it. Jackie stayed home with the baby… but honestly, I’m not built for sleeping in a tent.
David laughed.
—You missed comfort?
—A bed,” Hayden replied flatly. “A warm bed. A hot shower. Anything that doesn’t involve waking up with my back destroyed.”
Duna shook her head, amused.
—That’s age.
—No,” Hayden said. “That’s common sense.”
Everyone laughed quietly.
Shane stayed mostly silent, listening, absentmindedly playing with his fork. Ilya stayed quiet too, watching more than participating.
—But it was good,” Hayden added. “Sometimes you need to get away from all of this for a while… even if you end up wanting to come back immediately after.”
Duna nodded.
—Yeah. Especially for kids.
A small comfortable silence settled over the table. Not tense. Just… normal.
Hayden glanced toward Ilya.
—And you? How’s training going?
Ilya looked up calmly.
—Good.
—Just “good”?” Hayden pressed lightly. “I’ve always been curious… what makes you almost the best hockey player in the world?”
Ilya looked at him.
Then let out a short laugh.
—Almost?
David lifted his head immediately, already anticipating trouble.
—I am the best,” Ilya said without hesitation.
Shane laughed through his nose.
—Sure.
Hayden smiled.
—I don’t know. I’d say you’re the second best.
Ilya lifted an eyebrow.
—Oh yeah?
Hayden nodded toward Shane.
—After Hollander.
Shane looked up, caught off guard.
—Hey—
But they were already laughing.
Ilya shook his head, amused.
—That’s not true.
—We can argue about it anytime you want,” Hayden replied.
—Anytime,” Ilya shot back.
Duna lifted her wine glass.
—Alright, alright. This is getting dangerous.
Everyone looked at her.
—I do not want World War Three starting in my apartment.
David burst out laughing.
—Too late for that.
The laughter returned after that. Softer. More genuine. They kept talking. Eating. Drinking. Laughing. The tension faded a little more. And for a few minutes, everything felt… normal again. After a while, Hayden set his glass down and checked the time.
—Well,” he said, standing up. “I should go.
Duna stood too.
—Already?
—Yeah,” he replied. “Can’t leave Jackie alone with the kids for too long.”
David nodded.
—Makes sense.
He walked over and patted Hayden’s shoulder.
—Thanks for coming, Hayden.
Seriously.
—No, thank you guys.
Duna hugged him warmly.
—You’re always welcome here.
—Same to you,” he replied.
Then he looked at Ilya.
—Need a ride anywhere?
Ilya hesitated for barely a second.
—No, it’s okay. I’m waiting for a friend to pick me up.
—Alright,” Hayden said without pushing.
—Perfect.
A brief pause.
—See you around.
—Yeah.
Nothing else. No tension. No questions. No looks. He said goodbye. The door closed. Hayden’s footsteps faded down the hallway. And the apartment fell silent.
Duna started gathering a few things from the table.
—Well… that was nice.
David grabbed his jacket.
—Yeah. Not bad for someone who never celebrates anything.
Shane rolled his eyes.
—Alright, alright.
Duna walked over and fixed his shirt with that automatic mother gesture.
—Happy birthday, sweetheart.
She kissed his cheek.
David did the same, quick and casual.
—Take care. We’ve gotta wake up early tomorrow.
—Yeah.
One last exchange of looks. Then they left.
The door closed again. Shane locked it and stayed there for a second, leaning against it.
He let out a long breath.
—Finally…
Ilya was already sitting on the couch waiting for him. Calm. Like everything else had just been noise.
—Well,” he said. “It’s time for dessert.”
Shane looked at him, exhausted, but smiling now without trying to hide it.
—Shut up… you seriously can’t be serious for one second, can you?
—Not when I don’t need to be.
Shane shook his head and walked over before practically collapsing on top of him on the couch.
—Shane…” he murmured. “I missed you so much.”
He exhaled.
—Fuck… too much.
He kissed one cheek. Then the other. Then his mouth. Slowly. Without rushing. Without hiding anything. Ilya looked at him calmly. Softer now.
—Shane… what have you done to me?
Shane frowned slightly, confused.
—What do you mean?
Ilya held his gaze.
—I cannot stop thinking about you. Not even one minute.
Shane looked away for a second, trying to hide a smile.
—I don’t think about you that much.
Ilya let out a low laugh.
—I would bet everything I have… if I believed that was true.
Shane didn’t answer. Just looked at him. Then kissed him again. This time slower. They stayed close. Quiet. No need for words. Until Shane looked at him again.
—I didn’t think you were capable of doing something like this for me…
Ilya shrugged lightly.
—Why not?
Pause.
—I got on plane, got ready, talked to your mom… that’s it.
He said it simply.
Like it was nothing.
—Not big deal. And gala is in two days anyway. We already agree go together. I just came earlier.
Shane stared at him for a moment.
Paused.
Breathed in.
—No one’s ever done something like this for me before. It was a complete surprise. My parents don’t count.
His voice softened.
—All of this keeps making me think more about us. About our future. Especially that.
He looked at him again.
Ilya said nothing.
Shane let out a small nervous laugh.
—You’re driving me a little crazy…
A deeper breath.
Softer now:
—Crazy about you.
He stood up and pulled off his shirt, letting it fall wherever it landed without folding it, without thinking. His pants followed the same path. One piece on the bed, another on the couch. His socks… somewhere else entirely.
Ilya watched him, noticing the change.
—You are changing.
Shane turned around.
—Is that a bad thing?
Ilya shook his head.
—No.
—Just different.
They moved toward each other again. Slowly. No pressure. This time there was nobody else there. Nothing to hide. And for the first time since he’d walked into his apartment… Shane wasn’t thinking anymore.