The wind shrieked across the lake, stinging Maya’s face like a thousand icy needles. The ice under her skates didn’t feel solid anymore. Usually, it felt quiet and steady—something she could trust. Not tonight. Now, the frozen lake buzzed beneath her, a deep vibration coming straight from the "Zero Cell" below. She could feel it right through her metal blades, rattling her bones.
Push. Glide. Push. Glide.
Every step hurt. The plaster cast on her left leg dragged her off balance, so she had to lean hard to the right just to stay upright. Her muscles screamed from the strain, and her breath came out in sharp, white bursts that vanished into the wind.
“Come on, Maya,” she muttered. She clenched her jaw until it hurt. “Don’t look down. Just follow the light.”
The lake’s center was still a
