Saturday evening had settled over Eldlyria by the time Aurora finally closed her laptop.
The house was quiet again after Candace's lively visit, and there were no pressing work issues she had to attend to. She leaned back against the sofa, letting herself enjoy the rare feeling of having absolutely nothing she needed to do.
Then, her phone suddenly buzzed on the coffee table.
Aurora glanced at the screen and immediately recognised the name.
Felix.
A small smile found its way onto her face as she picked up the phone and answered.
"Hello?"
"Hey."
His voice sounded slightly breathless.
Aurora raised an eyebrow. "Are you alright?"
"Yeah. I'm fine."
"Then why do you sound like you've just run a marathon?"
"I was training."
"At this hour?"
There was a short pause on the other end.
"Not exactly."
Aurora sat up a little straighter. "Okay..."
Felix chuckled.
"I was just wondering something."
"What?"
"What are you doing tomorrow?"
Aurora frowned slightly. "Tomorrow?"
"Sunday."
"I know what tomorrow is, Felix."
"I wasn't sure," he joked.
She laughed softly. "I don't have anything planned."
"Good."
Aurora's eyes narrowed playfully. "Why does that sound suspicious?"
"It's not suspicious."
"It definitely sounds suspicious."
Felix laughed. "I'm going to the rink tomorrow morning."
"On a Sunday?"
"Yeah."
"Don't you have a day off?"
"Officially, yes. But I want some extra ice time before the qualifiers. There are a few things I still want to work on."
Aurora nodded slowly. "I see."
There was a brief silence before Felix spoke again.
"You could come."
Aurora blinked. "Come where?"
"The rink."
"To watch you practise?"
"Exactly."
A smile slowly appeared on Aurora's face. "Is that an invitation?"
"I'm trying to make it sound like one."
She laughed. "Felix..."
"What?"
"You remember what I said, right?"
"I remember."
"If there's going to be a second date, I'm planning it."
"I know."
"So..."
"This isn't a date, okay?" he said defensively.
Aurora smiled. "Good."
"Just come watch me practise."
She pretended to consider the offer, tapping one finger against her phone as though she were seriously weighing her options.
"Hmm..."
"Please, don't make me beg."
"Who says I'm making you beg?"
"You've been thinking about it for approximately seven seconds."
Aurora laughed. "Maybe eight."
"You're impossible."
"And yet you called me."
"Fair point."
Aurora shook her head, still smiling. "Fine. I'll come."
"Really?"
"Really."
"Brilliant."
"And Felix?"
"Yeah?"
"Don't expect me to suddenly become a skating expert."
"You'll be fine."
"You sound very confident."
"I am."
"Goodnight, Felix."
"Goodnight, Rora."
The call ended, and Aurora stared at her phone for a moment before placing it back on the coffee table.
She couldn't help smiling. It wasn't a date. It was simply a Sunday at the rink, an opportunity for her to see the part of Felix's life that he had spent years dedicating himself to.
Nothing more.
At least, that was what she told herself.
...
Sunday morning arrived quietly, and the usually busy Eldlyria Arena Ice Hall was considerably calmer than it was during the week.
The sunlight filtered through the tall glass windows, casting pale streaks across the polished floors while the faint sound of blades moving across ice echoed through the otherwise quiet building.
There were no crowds, no constant announcements, and no groups of skaters rushing between training sessions. Aurora stepped through the entrance, adjusting the strap of her handbag over her shoulder as she looked around the spacious arena. She didn't have to search for long before she spotted Felix already on the ice.
He was moving effortlessly across the rink, his black training clothes contrasting against the pale surface beneath him. He pushed off with one foot, gaining speed before leaning smoothly into a turn. His arms shifted with controlled precision as he crossed one foot over the other, transitioning into a series of steps without breaking his rhythm.
Aurora stopped near the edge of the rink, watching him with quiet fascination.
She had seen clips of Felix skating before. Not because she had been stalking him or deliberately searching for his videos; they had simply ended up on her feed from time to time. But there was something different about watching him without the pressure of a competition or a crowded arena surrounding him.
Here, he seemed completely at ease, as though the ice was the one place where everything else simply disappeared.
Felix caught sight of her.
A grin immediately appeared on his face.
He made one final turn before gradually slowing, using the edge of his blade to control his speed until he came to a smooth stop near the railing.
"You actually came."
Aurora smiled. "I said I would."
"I wasn't completely sure."
"Why?"
"Because you have a habit of changing your mind."
Aurora folded her arms. "I do not."
Felix raised an eyebrow.
"You do."
"Don't start."
He laughed. "Alright, alright."
Felix pushed away from the railing and glided backwards towards the centre of the rink.
"Watch this."
Aurora smiled. "Show-off."
"You haven't even seen it yet."
"I already know."
He shook his head before turning his attention back to the ice.
Felix picked up speed, his movements becoming sharper as he transitioned from one step to another. His skates carved clean lines into the ice as he shifted his weight, spun through a controlled turn and moved seamlessly into a sequence of jumps.
Aurora watched closely.
He launched himself into the air, his body rotating with practised precision before his blade met the ice again in a clean landing. He didn't stop, immediately flowing into another series of movements.
There was no hesitation, no wasted motion, just... complete concentration.
When he finally finished, Felix slowed to a stop and looked towards her.
Aurora couldn't stop herself from smiling.
"Wow."
Felix grinned. "Only wow?"
"Don't push it."
He laughed.
"You liked it."
"I said it was impressive."
"Which means you liked it."
Aurora rolled her eyes. "You're very pleased with yourself."
"I have every right to be."
She shook her head, but the smile remained on her face.
...
A few corridors away, Coach Vance stepped into the arena.
He had stopped by one of the upper floors to collect something he had accidentally left behind the previous evening. With the building unusually quiet, his footsteps echoed softly through the corridor as he made his way towards the room where he believed he had left it.
As he approached, he noticed that one of the rooms further down the corridor was slightly open.
Vance frowned.
He pushed the door open a little further, intending to check whether someone had forgotten to close it properly.
Instead, the sound of blades cutting across ice immediately caught his attention.
His gaze shifted towards the rink.
Felix.
And a lady was standing near the edge, watching him.
Was she the source of Felix's distraction lately? Coach Vance wondered.
Vance remained by the doorway without saying anything.
He simply watched.
Felix was completely focused. He moved across the ice with controlled precision, shifting his weight smoothly as he transitioned between turns and steps.
Felix entered one of the combinations they had been working on during the week, executing each movement with confidence before landing cleanly and continuing without hesitation.
Vance's eyes followed every movement.
No mistakes.
No loss of concentration.
No signs that Aurora's presence had distracted him.
In fact, Felix looked more focused than he had during some of their official sessions.
Vance briefly glanced towards the young lady, Aurora, before returning his attention to Felix.
The young skater completed his final movement and glided towards the edge of the rink. He slowed gradually, bending his knees slightly before coming to a controlled stop beside the railing.
Felix looked towards Aurora with a small smile.
"Well?"
Aurora smiled. "That was impressive."
"Only impressive?"
"Don't push it."
Felix laughed as he moved towards her.
Vance took that as his cue.
He quietly stepped away from the doorway, leaving the room exactly as he had found it. He had seen enough to know that Felix wasn't allowing anything to interfere with his training.
Without interrupting them, Vance continued down the corridor to retrieve what he had come for.