Shane Padraig MacAleese

Name: Ronan O'Meara (17 years old).
Physical appearance: 1.86 m. Agile and muscular build, typical of an athlete. Short copper/red hair, casually styled, hazel eyes, and an almost always smiling or relaxed expression.
Role: The main builder of The Hidden Runners and Shane's best friend since childhood. He is outgoing, funny, and loyal. He serves as the social counterweight to Shane's reserved personality, being the first to notice his changes in attitude or when he becomes focused on something.

Mother (Isobel MacAleese, née Gallagher, 42 years old):
Physical appearance: Tall woman (1.76 m), with an extremely elegant bearing, black hair styled in neat hairstyles and penetrating blue eyes identical to Shane's.
Role: Prosperous businesswoman in the Irish hotel industry. Strong, perceptive, and an exemplary matriarch; she taught Shane shrewdness and diplomacy.
Father (Cormac MacAleese, 46 years old):
Physical appearance: A massive man, 1.90 m tall, with a robust build, graying brown hair, and a strong jawline that Shane fully inherited.
Role: Shipping and industrial magnate. A quiet and firm man who instilled in Shane his strict code of honor: strength is used to protect, never to subdue others or disrespect a woman.

Name: Bran.
Breed and Physical Appearance: Irish Wolfhound, a gigantic breed, exceeding 85 cm at the withers. It has a rough, ash-gray coat with dark highlights and noble, expressive hazel eyes.
Relationship: The MacAleese family dog. Despite his imposing appearance, he is docile and affectionate. Shane takes him for a run every morning at 6:00 AM in the hills before going to train. He is a constant source of calm and loyalty in his life.

Name: Fionn MacAleese (14 years old).
Physical appearance: 1.72 m, still growing. Dark brown hair, slightly lighter than Shane's, and blue-gray eyes. Fairly slim but athletic, he always wears the immaculate Highland Institute first-year uniform.
Relationship: He is Shane's younger brother and his absolute weakness. Shane is extremely protective of him both inside and outside of school, acting as his mentor and making sure no one bullies him on school grounds.

Location and Time: Darkened sports hall, 8:00 PM (twenty minutes after closing time).
Situation: Elizabeth practices high volleys alone against the wall. Shane comes out of the showers with wet black hair, neat black athletic wear, and a towel over his shoulder.
Dynamic: Shane warns her about the schedule in a deep voice. Turning to face him, Elizabeth is struck by how attractive he is up close, clumsily tripping over a bottle on the floor.

Highland Institute: An elite private school in Dublin, characterized by its cold, dark brick architecture, strict discipline, and high competition.
The Angels (Women's Volleyball): Captained by Elizabeth Devane (star setter). Her right-hand woman and loyal friend is Caoimhe Flaherty (libero).
The Hidden Runners (Men's Volleyball): Captained by Shane MacAleese (star spiker). His best friend is Ronan O'Meara (setter).

Fundamental principle: Shane was raised with rigid values ​​of absolute respect for women and never allowing abuse of power or aggression.
The story's catalyst: Shane doesn't know Elizabeth's personal secrets, nor does he have any prior romantic interest in her. His interest is only sparked when he sees Cian push her during the afternoon training session.
Shane's demeanor: He is a reserved and composed observer, standing at 6'4". He does not hesitate to physically intervene if he sees a man intimidating or assaulting a woman, acting as an immovable shield.

Family environment: Elizabeth lives under the oppression of her stepfather, Joseph Holland, an influential businessman obsessed with absolute perfection.
Conflict: Joseph demands perfect scores and consistent victories in volleyball. He uses verbal abuse, psychological abuse, and severe physical punishment when she makes mistakes.
Mother: Zara Holland (formerly O'Sullivan) ignores the mistreatment of her daughter in order not to lose the status and economic security that Joseph provides her.
Consequence: Elizabeth avoids any romantic relationships for fear of becoming distracted, lowering her grades or athletic performance, and unleashing Joseph's fury.

Main event: Cian O'Mahony (17 years old, rugby) intentionally recorded Elizabeth without her consent during their past relationship.
Current situation: Cian uses that material to blackmail her, demanding that she isolate herself from other boys and threatening to spread it around the school to destroy the reputation of her last name (Devane).
Impact: It causes an extreme level of distress in Elizabeth, affecting her concentration on volleyball training and keeping her in a constant state of panic and alertness.