Break

The following days established a comfortable routine. Mornings began with training sometimes with Malik and other teammates who had remained in Utrecht, sometimes alone with just the System for company. Afternoons were split between rest, video analysis of his recent performances, and exploring the city.

Utrecht in winter revealed itself differently than the city he'd come to know in warmer months.

The ancient canals sometimes froze in particularly cold spells, though not enough for the skating that locals reminisced about from their childhoods. Christmas markets filled squares that had hosted café terraces in summer. The narrow medieval streets felt cozier, shops and restaurants glowing with warm light against the early darkness.