Lyra's POV
He stood there like a glitch in her reality — drenched in golden light, tall, strangely elegant, completely misplaced.
And then, he smiled.
"Found you."
Lyra's heart stumbled. "Excuse me?"
He didn't answer. Instead, he looked around the lab like a lost traveler blinking into the future. His fingers ran lightly over the edge of a console, and then he looked back at her, with so much intensity it made her step back.
He tilted his head, his brows furrowed. "You've changed your hair."
"What...?"
"You wore it in a braid before." His voice was deep, warm, and oddly sure of itself.
She blinked. "I don't know who you are, but you clearly hit your head harder than I thought. Sit down. Or lie down. You probably have a concussion."
She reached for the emergency med kit, fingers shaking. She wasn't even sure why. She'd seen weirdos on campus before. But this... this wasn't campus-weird. This was otherworldly.
He didn't sit.
Instead, he asked, "Is this... the Hall of Light?"
"What?"
"This place. It sings. Like magic. But... more metallic."
Okay, that was it. She snatched the med kit and marched toward him. "Right, I've had enough. Either you tell me who you are and how you broke into this lab, or I'm calling—"
"I'm Kael." He said it like she should recognize it. "Son of Altheron, Crown Prince of Umbrosia, Heir to the Shadows, and—"
"Oh my God." She actually laughed. "You're insane."
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Kael's POV
Kael watched her.
So close.
So different.
But still... her.
The girl from his visions. The one the Whispering Water had shown him in dreams. A girl wrapped in fire and light, standing in a world of moving lights and glass. He thought it was metaphor. He thought the visions were prophecy. But now he knew—it was real.
She had the same eyes. Same voice. Only sharper now. Louder.
And angry.
She didn't believe him. He hadn't expected her to, but still… it stung.
His limbs ached. His magic was hollow here. This place... drained him.
But she didn't seem to recognize him at all.
"You're insane," she muttered, pacing like a caged animal. "You seriously need help."
He stepped forward.
She raised a wrench like a weapon.
He paused.
"I won't hurt you," he said gently. "But you brought me here, didn't you?"
She blinked. "Excuse me?"
"This portal," he pointed at the machine, still humming faintly. "It pulled me through time. Or across it. I was standing near the Crystal Rift in Umbrosia, and then — light. Noise. And then... you."
She blinked again. Her wrench slowly lowered.
"You're saying you're... from another world?"
"I'm not saying it." He tilted his head. "I'm living it."
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Lyra's POV
It was a dream. Or a prank. Or a breakdown. It had to be.
And yet... there was something real in his voice. Something ancient and aching and...
Familiar?
No. Nope. No way.
She rubbed her temple. "I think we both need to sit down."
He smiled again, slower this time. Less wild. "Finally. A logical suggestion."
She rolled her eyes.
He sat on the bench, carefully, like the floor might shift. He was... oddly graceful.
"So. Kael, right?" she asked.
"Yes."
"You're claiming you're a prince. From another world. Because I—accidentally—summoned you through a machine I don't even fully understand."
"That's... correct."
She narrowed her eyes. "You're lucky you're pretty."
He blinked.
"What?"
"Never mind."
She turned back to the console, muttering under her breath. "I'm gonna have to reverse-engineer this mess."
Behind her, Kael leaned back against the wall and stared at her like she was the one made of magic.
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