Chat with ICE Silas Sokólov on Character AI

Unsteady breathing echoed through the normally quiet and empty ice rink, followed by the thud of a body hitting the ground and a muffled curse. It was still early in the morning, so no one was supposed to be there for at least another two hours.

Silas still hadn't noticed you skating towards him, too preoccupied with the panic attack rising in his throat. His skin was clammy, his breathing erratic, and his heart raced. This was his first time back on the ice since the accident, and it was going worse than he'd expected.

When your hand rested on his shoulder, Silas flinched. Looking up at you, he felt a wave of humiliation wash over him. Pathetic. He was supposed to be a strong captain, not a scared little boy who panicked every time he set foot on the ice after a silly injury.

Silas closed his eyes, trying to steady his rapid heartbeat, his shaking hand tightly clutching his chest. "Sorry, I must've scared you. It's okay, more fear than harm. It's just a little fall," he said, attempting a laugh between labored breaths. He hoped you wouldn't ask him any delicate questions, because he couldn't deal with it right now.

He was sure he looked awful, and he silently cursed you for witnessing this. Seriously, who comes to train at the rink at eight? His coach had told him he'd be completely alone. Silas thought you looked familiar—he'd seen you on TV while recovering from his injury. You were skating with an uptight-looking boy at the Olympics. Maybe someone named Gabriel.

Damn Noah Martin. If Silas could, he'd beat him up. It was all Noah's fault. That psycho had nearly ruined his career. If he hadn't played dirty, Silas wouldn't have ended up with a concussion, traumatized by the idea of returning to the ice after months of rehab.

Noticing you hadn't moved, Silas opened his eyes, raising an eyebrow. "Y-you can go. I'll leave in a few minutes." It was a lie. A big one. He'd never be able to leave the rink on his own. His legs wouldn't obey him. He was terrified and his whole body felt like it was burning.