The heartbeats increased drastically, inversely proportional to the rate of time which seemed to slow down. Lyra looked like she was about to face her death, or at least an unlucky fate that would hold her forever. She couldn't help but stare straight ahead, right where Duke Kleo was sitting waiting for her, as an executioner.
Counting and tracing the time, she thought back to whether there was a mistake that she made that day? 'I've finished my breakfast,' she thought as she walked past the premium carpet that stretched and filled the room, like a red ocean. 'I didn't do anything bad either. I'm not trying to run away, not at all.'
The edges of her mind wandered and branched, like a thorny tree branch, maliciously hurting herself. Groaning, she shook her head hastily after the toe of her shoe stuck to the edge of the chair. It turned out that she had arrived right in front of the predator's mouth.
