The sun was down for a while already, and the full moon was shining brightly in the sky. The lake water sparkled in the moon's reflections.
Lyra was sitting by the lake, staring at the moon. She was no more than twelve years old, but her expression showed a strange longing. A longing that looked as if it lasted a few hundred years.
Her long braided hair fell down to her waist, and in the moonlight it's white color only became more apparent and beautiful. It was as if the moonlight and her were meant to be together, as if the moonlight was made to make her appear more beautiful.
As she was staring at the moon, her brilliant silver eyes began to tear. She looked away from the moon and pulled a silver hairpin out from her pocket.
She looked at the hairpin and smiled. The sight of it warmed her heart, but it also brought more tears to her eyes.
"When will I find you, Phil?" She cried, staring at the hairpin. It was the first and last gift that Phil gave to her.
Her question lingered in the air for a while, and all sounds disappeared other than her tears. It was as if the moon was crying with her.
After a moment passed, she put the hairpin away and looked back at the moon. "Why did I come back if I cannot be with Phil? I miss him."
She let her words fall away into nothingness, and kept staring at the moon. Finally, she wiped her tears and stood up.
But as soon as she stood up, she heard footsteps coming from behind her. She turned around to look and saw a middle aged woman with an ordinary appearance. But Lyra knew this woman well. This woman was her mother.
"Lyra," Her mother said, "why are you out here tonight? It's cold out."
Lyra smiled, and shook her head. "It's not cold at all! Besides... the moon is very beautiful tonight."
Her mother walked up beside her and looked up at the moon. "You're right, but still... you should go inside now and sleep. Tomorrow is a busy day for you."
Lyra looked at her mother. She was confused. "What is going on tomorrow?"
Her mother smiled. "Tomorrow is the interview day for entry into Moon Shadow Academy. It's the best school in the country, and it's difficult to get entry. You must try hard to get in, okay?"
"Wait... mother. Why didn't you tell me about this before? And what is with the strange name? Moon Shadow Academy?"
Her mother sighed. Then she finally said, "I didn't tell you because they did not accept transfer students until recently. The education is really good, so I really want you to get into it. You know I care about you."
This explanation really told Lyra absolutely nothing that she did not know, so she continued asking, "but why does the school have such a strange name?"
"No one knows. They say that the name was picked by the headmaster's great-great-grandfather, and the headmaster decided to keep the name. The reasoning was probably lost over the generations."
Lyra was annoyed at this point, as she was not getting an answer about any of her questions. She decided to change what she was asking. "Who is the headmaster? What about the vice headmaster? What courses are offered and why is the education the best?"
Her mother sighed again. "You really have a lot of questions, Lyra."
"Yes, But I really need to know the answers! How else could I prepare for the interview?"
Hearing this, her mother smiled and decided to patiently answer Lyra's questions. "The headmaster's name is Leo, and the vice headmaster's name is Len. For some reason, no one knows either of their last names, although many say that they are probably brothers. The school is a boarding school, so you end up spending most of your time with your classmates. It certainly would be more interesting than staying at home all the time."
Her mother looked away from her before attempting to answer the question about the education.
"As for why the education is better than anywhere else, I don't know. But the people who go to school there are more successful in getting into good colleges. I also heard that there is a special class of elites there. It is said that they are chosen upon entry into the school, and that even though they have extra classes, they still somehow manage to stay at the top in terms of grades."
Lyra's mother than looked back towards her. "I know you might not get into the special class, but if you do, you are basically set up for success in life."
When she finished speaking, she realized that Lyra was staring blankly at her face, as if she heard none of what she said.
"Okay, Lyra. Now it's time to go back inside. You need to sleep tonight."
Then they both went back into the house and went to bed.