Yuta 'Skai Babivecha stood at the center of the ice, her breath steady, heart thrumming as she glided into position. The rink was silent, save for the scrape of her blades. The ice had always been her domain, the place where she'd earned the nickname "The Devil on Ice," for her fierce, aggressive performances.

Audience were captivated by her precision, her edge, her fire.

But today, something was different.

She was rehearsing Agape, a new program designed by Choi Kim, her new coach. It was a complete departure from the dark, powerful, and dangerous devilish routines Skai was known for. Unconditional love and sadness, Choi had told her. It was emotional, tender - two words that had never been part of Skai's vocabulary on the ice. 

At first, she hated it. How could she express such things when she had spent her career being everything but soft? Weird...

Yet now, as she skated through the program, there was a shift. Her movements had become fluid, graceful, even delicate. The spins held a melancholy beauty that contrasted with her sharp, precise technique.

She launched into a perfect double axel, landing lightly, as if the ice welcomed her with open arms. The devil was still there - Skai could feel her in the edges of her movements - but something new had begun to crack through.

Skai glided to the center, her arms outstretched as the music faded. Her chest rose and feel as she took a moment to catch her breath.

"Not bad," Choi Kim voiced from the edge of the rink. She leaned against the boards, arms crossed, her doe eyes watching every detail with a smile. At 21, Choi was still close in age to Skai but carried herself with the authority of someone much older. Sometimes...

Skai smirked, skating towards her. "I didn't think you knew how to give brief compliments without getting all bubbly."

Choi's lips quirked up a little more. "Don't get used to it."

Skai laughed, brushing the hair out of her face. "So, the Devil's not dead yet, huh?"

Choi leaning in slightly, her voice low and teasing. "Oh, the Devil's still there. She's just...evolving into what I want her to be."

Skai raised an eyebrow, her trademark sarcasm lighting up her face. "Evolving, huh? Does that mean I'm getting angel wings next? Maybe I should switch to all-white costumes for now on. Really sell the redemption arc."

Choi rolled her eyes but still smiled, used to Skai's sharp comments by now. "I doubt the audience would recognize you. Besides, I don't think 'angel' suits you. I want you to become...an Ice Swan."

"True," Skai shot back with a grin. "But at least the ahlo would match my aura or even swang wings. Ice crown?"

Choi chuckled before her expression grew a little serious. "Jokes aside, we need to talk about your free program."

Skai's smirk faltered slightly. "What about it? You're not about to spring something new on me two months before competition, are you? Because if you are, I'm quitting. Right now."

Choi gave her a patient look, one she had perfected over the few months they'd been working together. "No. But I want you to make your own free program."

Skai blinked. "Excuse me, what?"

"You heard me," Choi said, stepping closer to the ice. "I want you to create your own choreography and choose your own music."

Skai stared at her, incredulous. "You're kidding, right? I've got, like, two months until my senior debut, and you want me to start from scratch?"

Choi didn't waver but kept that same smile that was starting to annoy Skai now. "Yep."

Skai groaned, leaning back on her skates dramatically. "Of course you do."

"You've spent your entire career doing what your old coach told you to do," Choi continued, ignoring Skai's theatrics. "It's time for your to skate something that's completely yours. Your old coach never gave you that chance. I'm giving it to you now."

Skai glanced away, the sarcasm slipping from her face. "I've tried before," she muttered. "I've asked to choreograph my own program once. My old coach said it wasn't good enough. Told me to stick to what I was best at."

Choi's expression softed. "Well, I'm not Plistesky or whatever. And I know you have something more inside you, Skai. You're ready for this. You just don't know it yet."

Skai was silent for a moment, her eyes fixed on the ice beneath her feet. The idea of creating something entirely her own- it terrified her. What if her old coach had been right? What if she couldn't do it? The devil on ice was a role she had played so well, it was all she knew. But now, Choi was asking her to be more than that.

Finally, she let out a breath and looked up. "You're serious?"

Choi nodded, her gaze steady. "I am. You've been skating someone else's vision for years. It's time to show the world who you really are."

Skai stared at her for a long moment, then sighed. "Fine. But don't expect me to go all soft and poetic. I'm still me, y'know."

Choi giggled. "I wouldn't dream of it."

Skai skated in slow circles, her mind already spinning with ideas. She had melodies stored away, bits of movements she'd never been allowed to explore. Maybe it was time to let them out.

Maybe she could be more than the devil everyone expected her to be. She shot Choi a sidelong glance. "And you'll help with the choreography?"

Choi nodded. "Of course. But this is goign to be your program, Skai. No one else's."

Skai grinned, her confidence returning. "Alright. Let's make this happen. I've got some ideas, and maybe - just maybe - there's room for a little bit of fire. You know, to keep the devil happy."

Choi laughed, shaking her head. "Somehow, I expected nothing less."

Skai skated back to the center of the rink, the ice glistening beneath her. She didn't know what this new program would look like yet, but for the first time, she felt like she was skating toward something bigger, something more personal.

As she came to a stop, she glanced over at Choi with a mischievous glint in her eye. "So, burgers after this? I think I've earned it after all this soul-searching."

Choi raised an eyebrow, smiling. "Burgers? Sure. But I'm not letting you get fries. You've got a program to craft."

Skai shot her a mock look of horror. "No fries? What kind of coach are you?"

"The kind that's going to make you a champion again," Choi said with a smirk.

Skai laughed, feeling lighter than she had in weeks. As they lef the rink, she realized something had changed - not just in her skating, but in herself. The devil was still there, but now, maybe there was room for something more. Something real.

And, for the first time, she was ready to embrace it.