Dance Only With Me

The cold, dazzling lights of the ice rink shimmered in Maya's determined eyes. With hope pulsing in her chest, she stepped onto the ice—a moment that could change everything. Standing before her was Leon Victor, composed as always, alongside other members of the Silver House, a few judges, and even Lucy and Sophia.

Her performance began—precise spins, graceful transitions, balanced movements, and jumps that displayed her technical finesse. But just as everything seemed to flow perfectly, Maya's face suddenly contorted mid-combination spin. A sharp pain shot through her ankle. Still, without letting it disrupt her flow, she closed her eyes for a moment and pushed forward.

Leon, already aware of Maya's recent injury from the past few nights, instantly recognized the change in her expression. He unfolded his arms and stepped toward the edge of the rink—worried, yet calm.

Maya was about to attempt a triple Lutz—one of the hardest elements in figure skating. But before she could launch the jump, Leon's firm voice pierced the arena:

— "That's enough. Stop."

Startled, Maya slowed down and stopped at the center of the rink. Her eyes searched Leon's for answers, but he turned without a word and headed back to his office.

Anxiously, Maya rushed to Lucy.

— "Did I do something wrong?"

Lucy shrugged.

— "No, I didn't notice anything. I don't know why he stopped you."

Sophia offered a gentle smile.

— "Maybe you should talk to him. He might want to explain."

Maya nodded, took off her skates, and walked to Leon's office. After knocking, his curt voice answered:

— "Come in."

Maya entered, stepped up to the desk, and exhaled softly.

— "Mr. Victor… if I made a mistake, I'm sorry. I could've shown more combinations, even the new techniques I've been practicing..."

Without looking up, Leon said:

— "Sit down."

She obeyed. Leon went to the small fridge in the corner and brought out an ice pack, placing it in front of her.

— "Put this on your ankle."

— "It's fine, really. I'm okay. I can handle it."

Leon's tone hardened.

— "Put it on. In this place, my rules apply. Rule number one: you don't harm yourself—or anyone else. You broke that rule."

Maya lowered her gaze.

— "I'm sorry, coach. I promise I'll be careful. Just… please don't cut me from the team because of this."

Leon stared at her for a moment.

— "I'll let it go this once."

A soft smile appeared on Maya's lips.

— "Thank you… thank you, coach!"

— "Now go. Rest for two days, then return to practice. And from now on, no more late-night training."

Maya looked at him in surprise. He didn't elaborate—his eyes simply returned to the papers on his desk.

— "Close the door on your way out."

She smiled.

— "Got it… and thanks again for everything."

As she opened the door, Lucy and Sophia, who had been eavesdropping behind it, stumbled in slightly, trying to regain composure and pretend nothing had happened.

In the hallway, Lucy laughed.

— "I can't believe it—he knew you were practicing at night!"

Sophia added:

— "I bet he even knows about your morning sessions at the lake."

Maya, wide-eyed:

— "Was he following me? I thought he didn't care at all."

Lucy:

— "So did I. But now I'm not so sure."

Sophia, smiling:

— "He's known to never give second chances. The fact that he did means he sees something in you."

Just then, a familiar voice echoed down the hall:

— "That coach of yours never changes. A few nights ago, he was ready to kick you out. But then he happened to see you training late and changed his mind."

The girls turned around—Maya's aunt stood behind them.

Maya, surprised:

— "Really? He wanted to kick me out?"

Aunt:

— "He thought you weren't taking it seriously and just goofing off."

Sophia patted Maya's shoulder.

— "Whoa! Lucky break, girl."

Maya laughed.

— "I had no idea I was this lucky."

Aunt, warmly:

— "It's not luck, sweetheart. It's your hard work. Never doubt yourself."

Maya:

— "Thanks, Auntie…"

As her aunt walked away, Maya looked after her.

— "She's such a kind woman. I always see her at the rink. Even at her age, she's still working..."

Sophia:

— "I heard she's been here since day one. She used to skate, too, and ended up staying at Silver House."

Lucy:

— "Even Coach respects her a lot."

Maya, with quiet sadness:

— "I wish my grandma could have skated on a real rink… she never got the chance."

Lucy:

— "Anyway, it all worked out. Practice starts again next week. Let's enjoy ourselves till then!"

Sophia:

— "I'm in! How about you, Maya?"

Maya smiled.

— "I don't know… since I arrived, I've only seen the path to the park."

Lucy:

— "Then we've got a lot to show you!"

The three laughed and headed back to the dorms.

Maya spent the weekend exploring the city with Lucy and Sophia. She marveled at the futuristic tech, watched a thrilling 3D movie, and tried Moroccan food for the first time—so spicy it brought tears to her eyes.

Every night, she called her parents, excitedly sharing stories about Silver House and her new friends. Her mother, always protective, warned her not to trust people too easily, while her father praised her efforts and reminded her to stay healthy.

And deep in Maya's heart, the flame of her dream burned brighter than ever—just a few more steps to make it real.

---

Monday Morning – Silver House

The air in the training hall felt different. One of the staff members hurried in and pinned a large notice to the announcement board. Curious whispers spread as everyone gathered around.

— "What is it?" — "Says we have to compete to keep training privileges..." — "Wait, look here—our opponents are already listed! You and I are paired up!"

— "Why are they doing this? We used to train together and then go through Olympic qualifiers..."

A staff member raised their voice:

— "Everyone, please quiet down and listen."

All eyes turned.

— "Coach Victor wants the fairest selection possible. You'll be competing in pairs, and in the final internal event hosted by Silver House, the top ten will be chosen. The twist? You'll vote for each other. You and your peers will decide the final lineup."

Someone shouted:

— "How is that fair? People will just vote for themselves or their friends! Coach should pick the best ones!"

Staff:

— "It's the coach's decision. Even we staff members will be voting."

Another protested:

— "Still feels wrong..."

Suddenly, a powerful voice boomed from above:

— "So, you don't believe in yourselves?"

Everyone looked up. Leon Victor stood on the second-floor balcony, his gaze intense and unyielding.

He continued:

— "Did you forget where you are? If I see unfair voting, I'll personally wipe it out."

— "If you want to know my goal, I'll spell it out: I want to see how professionally you behave. Will you vote based on skill, or just pick your friends?"

Silence fell. No one dared argue. Leon turned and walked back to his office.

One by one, the members approached the board, checking their names and matchups. Maya stepped forward with Lucy.

Scanning the list, Maya said:

— "Here I am… and my opponent is… Lucas?"

Lucy's eyes widened. She quickly looked at the board.

— "Lucas?! Why him?"

Maya:

— "Who is he?"

Lucy, shocked:

— "He's one of the best skaters here. Facing him won't be easy. He's been to three Olympics—and won medals! How do you not know him?"

Maya:

— "I know all the champions… the most famous are Jackson and Alexander."

Lucy burst out laughing:

— "Wait… you mean you don't know Alexander is Lucas? That's his stage name!"

Maya froze.

— "What?! Alexander is Lucas? So I'm competing against him?"

Lucy:

— "Exactly. That's why I said it's going to be tough."

Maya muttered:

— "Why me? I'm just a beginner... Coach must seriously have it in for me."

Lucy paused:

— "Don't worry. He said votes are based on professionalism, not reputation."

Maya:

— "But how can I stand out professionally when I'm skating against someone like Lucas?"

Lucy hesitated.

— "I've never seen Coach make an unfair choice… but this one really has me puzzled."

Maya stared at the board—her name right next to a living legend. Her first serious battle would be against a skater who had stood on world podiums three times.

The game had just begun.