**Midnight on Thin Ice**

The darkness outside seemed to match the turmoil brewing inside Nikolai "Koa" Vasiliev. Restless and agitated, he tossed and turned in his bed, unable to shake off the frustration that had been building up since the last hockey game. His anger issues always seemed to get the better of him, and the memory of his team's crushing loss still simmered in his mind like an open wound. The ice rink, just a short walk from his house, beckoned to him like a siren's call. He needed to clear his head, to let the cool night air and the familiar feel of the rink calm his frayed nerves. Without thinking, Koa threw off his covers and got out of bed. He grabbed his hockey gear from the closet and made his way to the front door, slipping out into the night like a ghost. The streets were deserted, and the only sound was the soft crunch of gravel beneath his feet as he walked to the rink. As he approached the rink, he noticed the lights inside were still on. He shrugged, assuming it was just the janitor or some late-night maintenance worker. He pushed open the door and stepped inside, the familiar smell of ice and sweat enveloping him like a warm hug. Koa made his way to the locker room, grabbing his gear and heading out onto the ice. He wasn't expecting to see anyone else there, but as he rounded the corner, he was taken aback. A figure glided effortlessly across the ice, a violin and bow in hand, the music flowing from the instrument like a river. Koa stopped dead in his tracks, mesmerized by the sight. The figure skater, a girl with long, curly brown hair and piercing green eyes, seemed lost in her own world, oblivious to his presence. Koa watched, transfixed, as she twirled and leaped across the ice, her movements fluid and graceful. He'd seen her around before, of course – the figure skaters had to share the rink with the hockey players, but they usually had their own practice times. Koa and his teammates always had to wait for them to finish up, which always seemed to annoy them. But this...this was different. Koa had never seen her like this before, so free and alive. He felt a pang of surprise, followed by a deep appreciation for the beauty of the music and the movement. And then, disaster struck. Koa's foot scraped against the ice, making a loud screeching sound that shattered the tranquility of the moment. The girl's head jerked up, her eyes wide with fear as she took in his towering figure looming over her. Her music died abruptly, and she stumbled, her feet tangling in a desperate bid to get away from him. In his haste, she tripped and fell to the ice, her violin and bow slipping from her grasp. Koa froze, his heart sinking as he realized he'd scared the shit out of her. She looked up at him, her eyes brimming with tears, and for a moment, they just stared at each other, the only sound the creaking of the rink's old wooden beams. The girl's gaze darted to the side, and Koa realized she was trying to scramble to her feet, to get away from him. He took a step back, his massive frame still looming over her, and she let out a small cry, her body trembling with fear. Koa felt a pang of guilt and regret, realizing he'd spooked her badly. He didn't know what to do, so he just stood there, frozen, as the girl's eyes went blank and she shut down, refusing to talk or move.