She was standing on a bridge, her cloak billowing with the wind. Her hair was disheveled from running, tears streaming from her eyes. She clenched and unclenched her hands as if to control the onslaught of emotions that were hitting her again and again. Below the bridge, the water flowed with ease, as if to comfort the lonely girl.
A silhouette in a dark cloak stood behind her. "Lyra, listen to me. I know I have wronged you, but..."
Lyra cut him off. "But what, Rowan? I thought you were the only one who was faithful to me, but you're just like them. You didn't even trust me enough to share your burden. Tell me, was it okay? You must have laughed behind my back at how naïve I've been. I don't understand what kind of creature I am for everyone to fear me. You were with me, weren't you? This whole damn time..."
She started hitting his chest, her voice quivering, and tears falling more rapidly. But Rowan didn't stop her. He clenched his jaw, waiting for the turmoil in her to calm down.
"Tell me, Rowan, have I ever harmed anyone? No, that must be the reason they hunt me like a beast..." Her turbulent emotions didn't let her finish her sentence, but Rowan understood. He moved forward and hugged Lyra tightly to comfort her, but Lyra, lost in her agony, didn't feel his arms around her.
"Tell me, are you my tormentor or my protector?" Suddenly, Lyra lifted her head from his arms and asked him.
"Listen to me, love..." Rowan's tone was urgent, but hearing the endearment, something snapped in Lyra.
"Don't call me that! I'm just a tool to you." She pushed Rowan harshly, and Rowan let her push him, but that was the mistake.
Because she ran so fast, for a moment Rowan fell into a daze, and when he came out of it, Lyra had already jumped into the river. His eyes widened, and he jumped after her. Lyra felt everything start to blur around her. She didn't even struggle, as if the very life force had been drained from her by the betrayal of her love. She felt someone jump after her, but it was too late. Her consciousness faded, and she lost the battle to death.
***************
She was sleeping soundly. Her red hair sprawled on the bed. The curtains were drawn, making the room darker. The room was spacious and divided into two sections. One section had been turned into a library, and the other for the use of the girl sleeping soundly. Tall wooden bookshelves containing books related to magic and fantasy were kept in the library, as the girl found herself drawn to such books. A plush armchair and a table were placed in the library. On the other side, there was a wardrobe, a vanity mirror, a table, and beside it, a washroom. Overall, the room gave a cozy feeling.
Someone knocked on the door, but the girl didn't so much as stir. "Lyra, I am coming in." Then someone pushed the door open.
"Goodness, you are still asleep. Come on, Lyra, wake up." The intruder was none other than Wren, Lyra's nanny. She pushed the blanket from Lyra and opened the curtains, which brightened the room.
"Umm, Wren, let me sleep some more," Lyra mumbled, trying to hide herself inside the comforter again, but Wren beat her to it.
"No, today is your mother's birthday. There is going to be a celebration, so please get up."
Lyra got up groggily, pushing her hair from her eyes. She looked up at Wren, who was a year older than her own mother but looked younger and more petite, fitting her name. Sometimes, Lyra found Wren mysterious, but she didn't know how to ask her about it. There were times when Wren seemed to know something before it happened. Lyra found it really odd that Wren could have chosen to work anywhere, but here she was, sticking with Lyra.
Of course, she was glad that Wren was with her because sometimes she felt lonely. She didn't know where these feelings were coming from because she had opted to live alone when her parents wanted her to live with them. Sometimes, she would get bored of that lifestyle, with all the parties and everything. It wasn't that her parents didn't love her; they did. But Lyra sometimes felt as if her life was a puzzle, and she was missing many parts of it.
After her morning routine, when she came out of the room, Wren had prepared her breakfast. She and Wren both sat at the table.
"So when are you going to get ready? Sophia has called a gazillion times this morning."
"It's not like the party has started now it won't start until the evening anyway."
"Yeah, but Lyra, you don't want to go there like a guest, do you?"
"I don't know, Wren. Sometimes I feel like..."
"Feel like what?" Wren asked her, as if wondering what was going on in her mind.
"Like Mama is hiding something from me. As if she knows something about me that I don't, and..."
"Wait, hold on, young lady. I think you should stop reading those magical books of yours. They are putting nonsense ideas in your head."
Lyra rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, blame it on my books." She got up after finishing her breakfast. "Alright, I am going to get ready. Help me select a dress."
"Alright, I'm coming." Wren smiled at her, but when Lyra entered her room, the smile left Wren's face, replaced by a worried expression.