Reborn to Rule the Shadows
Episode 4: Ghost among the living
The lecture dragged on, but Lyra barely heard a word.
Her pen moved mechanically over her notebook, scrawling neat lines of notes she would later find meaningless.
Her mind was somewhere else — trapped between the present and the terrible memory of betrayal.
Finally, the bell rang, cutting through the heavy air.
Students laughed and chattered, gathering their books.
The world moved on, oblivious to the storm raging inside her.
[Aria slung her bag over her shoulder and leaned toward Lyra, grinning.]
Aria Veylin(fl's BFF)
"Ugh, I forgot how boring Haldren’s lectures were. I swear he’s part zombie."
[She nudged Lyra again playfully.]
Aria Veylin(fl's BFF)
"Wanna grab a coffee? We could hit that little café you love — you know, the one near the old library?"
A part of her — the raw, wounded part — wanted nothing more than to sit somewhere safe and breathe.
But another part, the colder, sharper part, whispered:
"No distractions. You need answers."
Still, she couldn’t push Aria away. Not again. Not after everything.
Lyra Nightshade (fl)
"Yeah... coffee sounds good."
[She smiled, the expression feeling more real with each passing second.]
They walked out into the bright afternoon together, the spring air crisp and clean — so different from the cold, bloody night she had last known.
The campus was just the same:
Old brick buildings clothed in ivy, students lounging on benches, the faint smell of fresh-cut grass and brewing coffee drifting through the air.
Aria chattered beside her about class projects, annoying professors, and weekend plans, her voice a soothing hum against Lyra’s whirling thoughts.
Lyra nodded and responded where she could, but her eyes were sharp, scanning the faces around them.
'Was it possible the enemies who had hunted her down were already here?'
'Three years earlier... had the trap already been set?'
She needed to find Jonas Vale, her old classmate, mentor and the one who betrayed her, killed her...for the power, that she herself didn't know existed within her.
She needed to know when it had all started — and why.
[A sharp chill ran down her spine as she caught sight of a tall figure leaning against the archway near the administration building.]
At this distance, she couldn’t see his face — only the familiar shape, the way he held himself, so casual yet so perfectly calculated.
Lyra Nightshade (fl)
( Jonas.)*thinking*
Her blood froze for a moment.
She hadn’t expected to see him so soon.
And yet, there he was — laughing lightly at something another professor said, looking every inch the trusted mentor she had once adored.
The man who would one day kill her.
[Aria tugged on her sleeve, snapping her back.]
Aria Veylin(fl's BFF)
"Hey, earth to Lyra. You okay?"
[Lyra forced a smile, keeping her gaze steady.]
Lyra Nightshade (fl)
"Yeah... Just thinking about coffee."
Aria Veylin(fl's BFF)
"You and your caffeine addiction."
[She laughed and pulled her along toward the café, oblivious to the monster watching from the shadows of the past.]
And Lyra, smiling faintly, made herself a silent promise.
Lyra Nightshade (fl)
(Not this time, Jonas. This time, I'll be ready.)*thinking*
Veluna (author)
"Hello my sparkling Velunari's!" [smiling]
Veluna (author)
"I hope you all are doing well"
Aria Veylin(fl's BFF)
"Remember to give us lots of likes and comments"
[appeared from behind]
Veluna (author)
!!! [Almost got a heart attack] "You!"
Lyra Nightshade (fl)
"Stay with me until the end"
Veluna (author)
( Why is she here now?) *thinking* 😑
Lyra Nightshade (fl)
"What? Do you have any problem" 😒
Veluna (author)
"I didn't say anything" 😙
Aria Veylin(fl's BFF)
" Anyways, See you in the next episode"
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