Alexandra watched her girlfriend glide across the ice, her movements a symphony of grace and fire. Eteri clapped, that rare, sharp approval—a siren’s song in a world driven by gold and glory. She wanted to feel pride, but something else coiled in her chest: not jealousy, but dread.

She’d seen it before. The brightest stars burned fastest under Eteri’s relentless gaze. They shone, dazzling and unbreakable, until the weight of perfection hollowed them out. And now, the sunniest girl she’d ever known—her sunshine—was becoming another casualty.

At first, it was little things. A missed laugh, a hesitant smile, a darker shadow beneath her eyes. But Alexandra stayed silent, swallowing her fears, because her girlfriend still beamed when Eteri praised her. That light was worth it, wasn’t it?

Until it wasn’t.

One evening, Alexandra sat in the bleachers, her chest tight with unease. Her girlfriend skated tirelessly, her body moving like a machine wound too tight. A stumble. A pause. And then—red against white. Blood dripped from her nose onto the ice, vivid and wrong. Alexandra's heart stopped.