Gemotions

The news conference was a blur. "And so, we're pleased to announce that Anya Petrova will be transitioning to ice dancing, alongside Sergei Volkov." Anya, a figure skater for years, felt a wave of dizziness wash over her. Ice dancing? The precision of the turns, the leaps and spins that defined her career, seemed to vanish, replaced by the unknown. The flash of the cameras, the buzz of the media, the feeling of her skates on the ice, all felt off-kilter. She stared at the smiling faces of her new partner and the coach, the words failing to translate into understanding. She felt a desperate desire to simply disappear.