The morning sun peek through the small wooden window, casting golden rays across the old room. Lyra woke up in a very soft, comfortable bed and blinked against the light, her head was heavy and her body is stiff. Her vision is blury for a second but soon her vision cleared, and took a look in her surroundings and saw an ancient looking room.
The room was cold, and the plants around the window looked like it's about to die. The room wasn't filthy, but there was a layer of dust tucked into corners and along the edges of the worn furniture like you can tell it hadn't been constantly cleaned by anyone.
Lyra sat up slowly, and she can hear the mattress crackling under her bed.
"What is this, a medieval Airbnb?" she muttered, hugging her arms as the chill bit at her skin.
The last thing she remembered was the pain in her back and she blinked like yes, she passed out but what after that? She frowned.
"Did someone carried me here? Like.. some kind of… mystical nurse? A healer? A-?
Before she could continue her words, the door creaked open.
She froze while looking at the door suspiciously. She was clenching her fist and was looking around the room to see the flower pot and was thinking of throwing it to the person who might appear to be dangerous.
But it's not someone dangerous like she thought. It's someone she had unexpected to see again.
Evan stepped into the room like a ghost, his face is shadowed but familiar. Her eyes widened just by seeing the shadow itself.
"E-Evan?" Her voice cracked the moment his face disappeared from the dark.
Lyra recognized him in an instant like he is so deeply patch in her memory that even the slightest of his shadow was enough for her to tell it's Evan.
He looked at her and nodded slightly, as if unsure how he'd react.
"You're awake."
She breath deeply and blinked twice, then again, squinting her eyes just to be sure if she is really seeing Him.
"W-Wait.. you're real? You're saying i'm not dreaming or hallucinating right..?"
"No, silly" He took a step closer.
"You passed out two days ago. You've been unconscious for 2days." He said while walking towards her.
"Two days!?" she gasped. She thought she was asleep for only 1 night.
"Then.. who fed me? Is it you..?" Her eyes lighten up.
"And you've been here the whole time?" She added, moving closer to him unintentionally while looking deeply into his eyes.
"N-no! It's not me.. I'm gone for 2days because i have a lot of things to do.." He moved inches away from her and swallowed a saliva.
"But, I made sure you were safe" he said plainly, sitting on the chair beside the bed.
She stared at him, the weight of everything crashing down on her. She was always an emotional person but always tried to hide it from people.
"I wasn't imagining it then… back in the marketplace, you were there" she whispered. Her voice cracked again, this time on the edge of tears. But she didn't try to hide it. Not from him.
There was something about Evan that made her feel safe enough to be protected from judgement, even if he rarely smiled or said anything that pleased her before.
He reached out, gently brushing her hand. "I'm here now."
She sniffled and looked away. She was frustrated by the unfamiliar weight in her chest.
"This is just so messed up, Evan. I don't even know what's real. I don't know who I'm supposed to be, or if I'm even meant to be here in the first place…" She said, trying not to break down again.
He was patiently waiting for her to keep talking for a moment, letting her speak what she is feeling. When she looked back at him, his gaze softened.
"How… how are we even here together?" she asked, wiping her cheek quickly.
"This whole thing is insane.. Us being here together unexpectedly and on top of that in different world." She looked at him seriously curious how they got here.
"I arrived here two months ago," Evan said.
"What?" She couldn't believe it because how is that possible that he got there 2months ago when she clearly saw him just the day she got here which is 3days ago.
"That can't be right though.. I clearly saw you the day I got dragged here. But, you looked weird. Like... like you weren't even you."
"What if… there are people living in our body right now? From our world. Living this same reality. Maybe not all of them are obvious." His lips curved slightly trying to make a point of all these weird things.
She stared at him, her eyes widen, then laughed nervously. "Wow. That's… not creepy at all."
As if on cue, the door opened again and a man with long silvery white hair walked in. He carried a tray with tea and something herbal that definitely didn't look FDA approved.
"Who's this? Your tea guy?" She said jokingly while trying to make a friendly impression to the guy on the door.
"Didn't know you made friends so fast. It's only been two months, Ev."
"It's not like that," Evan replied coldy.
"He's one of us." He said while looking at the guy and then looking back once at her.
"One of-? Wait, wait, wait. You mean there's more of us..?"
The man, whom Evan introduced as Kaen, offered Lyra the tea without showing any expression at all.
"To help with your strength."
Lyra thanked him and as she sipped it, she is still trying to keep up with these crazy information.
Evan explained further,
"Here in this world, there are Gods and Goddesses. Some so called humans have good potential, but they can't awaken their power unless they are chosen. Those are the ones people call 'humans' but they're not exactly like the humans we know."
So apparently they are human but at the same time they're not. Like there's something about their energy, and presence that defies the limit of humanity.
"So… we're some kind of chosen glitch?" she asked, her brows are furrowing.
Before anyone could respond, Lyra suddenly winced and gripped her back.
"Ow..! again?" She groan in agony.
This time, it's not hurting so bad like before. It's like an aftermath of a burning sensation.
Evan noticed Lyra's back is hurting again just like the night he found her.
"Let me see, slide your top a little bit lower so i can take a look" Evan said hurriedly, shifting closer to her.
Evan stopped midway and saw Kaen looking at them.
"What are you still doing there? You can leave us now" Evan said, his brow furrowing as if he doesn't want to let anyone see Lyra's shoulder.
Kaen raised a brow.
"Ahem… I'll leave you two," he said, turning to go, clearly not wanting to witness whatever Evan meant.
Lyra narrowed her eyes at Evan.
"Wow. Do you say that line to all the girls you met huh?" she said dryly.
Evan didn't respond. He simply knelt behind her and gently moved the back of her shirt aside. His face changed when he saw it. A star mark beginning to bloom in her upper right back. Like ink under skin, pulsing slowly.
"What is it?" Lyra asked, as tension growing around them.
Evan paused for a second and blinked his eyes twice. He couldn't be sure what the mark was about.
"Oh, it's nothing to worry about" he said, but his tone was off.
"Yeah, well, your face says I should definitely worry." She said while sliding in her top against her shoulder.
He didn't answer. Not yet.
Because even he didn't understand what this mark meant but he was sure of one thing.
Lyra's journey was only just beginning.