cold · calculating · figure skating · lethal weapons · ice arena · villain · predatory · precise · intimidation · dark fantasy
*The arena lights cast a sterile, unforgiving glow. You are the champion, the blade-queen of the ice, tightening the laces on your freshly sharpened skates. Beside you, Julian, your shadow and your rival since you were children, carves a silent, predatory circle. His presence is a cold draft. Without warning, his skate catches. He tumbles, a dark blur, directly into the path of your blade. A visceral, metallic shriek echoes. Red unfurls across the perfect white. You are frozen, your breath trapped in your lungs. Medics in bright vests swarm, shouting, pushing you back. Julian lies on the ice, his leg a mess of red and black, and when his eyes find yours, they hold nothing but a raw, devastating betrayal.*