Lyra is walking through the bustling marketplace. There are noise of merchants calling out their wares, the aroma of street foods and the smell of perfumes from the other stalls. She walks past a stall where there's an older woman that sells cosmetics.
"Ah! What a beautiful young lady we have here! Aren't you a maiden from Thalora?" The old women says while flashing a wide smile to Lyra.
Thalora is a place governed by Gods, where divine beings wield great power. The kingdom is a mix of grandeur, ancient tradition, and mysticism, with its cities full of marketplaces, temples, and towering structures.
The old lady looked at Lyra up and down, clearly impressed by her features.
"You must try my makeup! It will indeed fit your features!"
Lyra raised an eyebrow, a flicker of interest crossing her face. Back in the modern world, she was always the one to stay on top of the latest beauty trends. Cosmetics were one of her passions, it's her way of expressing her creativity and boost her confidence.
But now, standing in this unfamiliar, mystical world, it all felt like a distant memory, a part of her old self that had no place anymore.
She was smart, fashionable, and talented with qualities she had always prided herself on. But now, those qualities felt useless in this realm. Her skills didn't matter here.
The weight of that realization hit her hard, she stood there for a moment, letting the bustling sounds of the marketplace fade into the background.
"I'm not really into makeup, thanks." Lyra uttered although her face says otherwise.
Maybe, just maybe, there was a sliver of my old self i could cling to here. She thought to herself.
"Oh, don't be shy! You have such a captivating face. Especially that mole right there," she pointed to the center of Lyra's right cheek. "It's quite rare, young lady"
"This mole?" Lyra instinctively touched her face.
The old lady nodded.
"It's a symbol, young lady. A mark of great significance. People with this mole are destined for life. It's not just about beauty.. it's power."
Before Lyra can respond, a loud voice interrupts the conversation.
"All must pay respect! A God from Azrion is approaching!" A man's voice echoed through the marketplace.
"Show you reverence. The road to the Kingdom begins here!"
A hush fell over the crowd. People immediately dropped to their knees, bowing their head on the ground.
Lyra was planning to walk away. She doesn't care about any of this and thinks that she had better things to do anyway.
But before she could take her third step, she felt a sharp pain through her back, and her hand instinctively went to the area just between her shoulder, where her mark burned.
"What…?" she whispered to herself, feeling dizzy as the pain intensified.
"So this is no dream?!" She screams in agony. The pain felt too real. She thought to herself.
She glanced around, seeing everyone around her bent low in a show of respect.
"The God has arrived!" A guard shouted to let everyone know to be prepared.
Lyra tried to walk away faster but her body felt numb and the pain in her back is connecting to every aspect of her body.
Lyra looked up and thought she miraculously saw Evan across the street.
"Ly.. ra?" Evan says from the distant, looking way more shocked.
He stands there, watching her with a puzzled expression. For a moment, they both freeze, and confused, before something like a gust of wind or a brush of a guard's presence suddenly separates them.
Lyra, confused and frustrated, immediately lowers her head with the crowd. She glances toward Evan, but before she can reach him, the procession of the God's carriage comes.
She wants to shout his name so loud! But she couldn't do that infront of these guards and she needed to pay respect with the divine procession.
A carriage? what is this place. She says to herself.
She looked up for a moment to see what the carriage looked like.
Instead, she saw someone..
A beautiful God with a shining curly blonde hair with sparkling blue eyes looked impassively out of the window.
Lyra then bow her head again afraid of getting caught looking up.
The God inside felt something is calling his presence out of the carriage.
The guard is confused to see the God looking out of the window as he had never once bat an eye outside of the kingdom especially in a marketplace.
"I felt very unusual energy.." The God said while looking at Lyra who is bowing her head down.
The God didn't think any further about it and the window is swiftly shut and the procession continue.
Raelon, a God from Azrion from the east. Azrion is a place that commands respect and reverence. That's why Raelon doesn't want to see the outside of the Palace because he seeks reverence.
He looks beautiful. Lyra thought to herself.
After the God has already make its way, she looked for Evan in the crowed.
"Am i seeing things? that can't be Evan.. Why would he even be here in the first place?!" Lyra seeing Evan just make things more complicated for her.
Lyra then walks through the streets, trying to make sense of what she's just seen. As she walks, a Moonlit Maiden dressed in elaborate clothing, notices Lyra. The moonlit Maiden finds Lyra's beauty captivating and luxurious.
She then walks towards Lyra hurriedly.
"My, my... you are quite striking, aren't you?"
Lyra was taken aback by the sudden touch in her shoulder.
"And you are?" Lyra asked with a soft voice but to the Moonlit Maiden it appears more like giving attitude rather than asking nicely.
"I'm Kei, a Moonlit Maiden. I find you very captivating.. Although, you had a little bit of an attitude" Kei giggles while showcasing a friendly gestures towards Lyra.
Lyra just stood there trying to process what's happening. Weird things seems to always hunt her every chances they get.
"Tell me, would you like to join us?" Kei asked her with a smile in her face.
Lyra is hesitant and doesn't have any idea of what the Moonlit Maiden was talking about.
"Join you? What do you mean?"
"You see, we entertain visitors. They pay for our performances, and our music. Why don't you try it? and food? perhaps it's more than you've ever had" Kei stepped closer, her eyes glimmering with interest.
"Food?!" Lyra excitedly asked.
"Ahem, I need to think about it.. I'm not the type of person who would go with a stranger..."
Lyra thinks for a moment. She has no place to go, no one around her, and no way to survive.
"I don't want to dance. But if you'll let me stay and eat, I'll consider performing music for your visitors." She decided after thinking about it throughly.
"Very well! But do you even know how to play instruments?" Kei asked Lyra who appears more like someone who does not have any experience when it comes to instruments.
"I might not looked like it but i play violin" Lyra said. She had the experience and knowledge of playing it.
That night, Lyra was led into a vast outdoor.
The air was cool, carrying the sweet scent of blooming flowers, mingling with the mystical aroma. The center of it was a large, circular stage, illuminated by the soft glow of lanterns. The tables were made of polished wood, and each had its own lantern casting a warm, golden glow. The guests is dressed in luxurious robes and gowns, sat on low wooden benches, the feeling was alive with the sounds of laughter and loud conversation.
Lyra was then guided by a Moonlit Maiden to a room where a waiting servant helped her change into an elaborate attire prepared for her with delicate silver embroidery that shimmered like starlight especially matching her black hair. The vibrant colors seemed to shift with her every movement, and the long flowing sleeves brushed the floor with an almost ethereal grace.
She gripped the instrument, stringed instrument, and began to play. The first notes rang out into the night air, pure and elegant. Her fingers moved with grace over the strings.
The visitors was leaning forward in their seats, unable to look away. Not just because she plays it so beautifully but also because Lyra is Beautiful herself.
Lyra stood with an effortless grace, her black hair flowing down to her waist, the contrast with her pale skin under the light. Her face was striking, with a tall nose and plump lips that gave her an inviting softness. But it was her eyes.. sparkling white and full of quiet intensity that truly caught the attention. They had this way of looking at you that felt both cute and a little intimidating, as if they could see right through you.
After the performance, the guests chants and clapped their hands for her.
When the performance ends, she thought to herself that it was time to leave. She was not planning to stay there for a night anyway. She just wants to have something to fill her stomach.
Lyra made her way off the stage, her heart still pounding from the intensity. As she walked down the stairs, she accidentally bumped into a man, a tall figure with striking features, his hair is silver, and his eyes.. it's a deep gray.
He stared at her for a moment, his face suddenly pale.
"You… you look familiar," he said quietly, almost to himself.
Lyra gave him a quick, awkward look.
"I don't think we have met. Sorry." She quickly walk past him, not looking back.
The man reached out quickly, his hand wrapping around her wrist with a firm grip. Lyra, taken by surprise, immediately spun around to face him. The moment their gazes met, he froze, his hand instinctively releasing her wrist as if he'd just realized what he'd done.
He cleared his throat, as if searching for the right words.
"What's your name, Young Lady?"
Instead, she tilted her head slightly, raising an eyebrow. There was a sharpness to her gaze, as if she was trying to read his intentions.
"Why do you want to know?" she asked.
The man hesitated, struggling to find a proper response.
Before the man could utter another word, a voice suddenly called out Lyra's name from across the hallway, pulling Lyra's attention away from him.
She turned swiftly, her eyes narrowing as she recognized the voice calling her name.
"Shit!" She says, quickly yanking her sandal off her foot.
She dashed away from him, her silver dress flowing behind her like a trail of moonlight.
Before she jump off the blocks, she turned around and looked at the man.
"Shush!" She gestures more like warning him not to say anything to the Moonlit Maiden.
"Lyra.. hmm" He stood there for a moment, watching her slip into the crowd.
He thought Lyra looked so much like the person he loved from the past. He felt like he's slowly forgetting the face of the woman he loved before that he's now assuming that Her and Lyra looked similar.
"I must have already forgotten her face," he says. The realization hitting him like a sudden wave. "All this time, and now I'm assuming that girl looks like her."
But if it was her, how could it be? She had vanished so long ago. He thought to himself.