Chapter 69 Just a pup
~ Lyra's POV ~
Today marked my third day of coming to the archives and burying myself in endless research. I was pushing my body and mind to their limits as I tried to gather every piece of knowledge I could, and find answers to the new mysteries that now surrounded me, all while being painfully aware of how little time I already had.
Several hours slipped by before I finally lifted my eyes from the texts scattered before me and looked at Taren. Just as I had suspected, he was still watching me, the worry etched deeply into his features, refusing to fade no matter how many times I avoided his gaze.
He knew something was wrong with me. He had asked repeatedly if I was truly all right, and each time I had answered yes without hesitation, yet my actions told a completely different story, betraying the lie I kept repeating.
I could not blame him for being concerned. I had not been myself ever since that vision. Something inside me had shifted, and I was acutely aware of it, even though I could not find the right words to explain it to anyone.
The only one I had spoken to about it was Lunaris. Even she had told me not to overthink it, saying she felt it simply meant that everything was finally falling into place. When I asked her if she knew anything about the war, her answer mirrored mine. She knew nothing before the vision. She only said it looked strangely familiar, yet she could not place where or why.
“You know you can tell me what is going on, right? I am on your side, remember?” Taren said softly, and I let out a tired sigh.
“I wish I could explain it to you,” I replied honestly. “I just don't have the words to describe what I am feeling. Something inside me feels different, and I don't know what it is.” That was the best explanation I could offer, even though it felt painfully incomplete.
He opened his mouth as if to respond, but the words never made it out. His expression tightened into a frown as he reacted to a sound, and a second later my own ears caught it too.
Someone was approaching the archives in a hurry. The footsteps were rushed and uneven, growing louder with every passing second.
Instead of simple awareness, the sound burrowed into my head, twisting something inside me, and sudden flashes of the war flooded my vision without warning.
“Someone is heading this way,” Taren said, but although I heard his voice, I could not process his words at that moment.
All I could see was the battlefield. All I could think about was the war, and in my mind an enemy was advancing.
The instant the door swung open, I reacted without thought. I shot my hand forward, and every book on the nearest shelf was ripped from its place and hurled toward the intruder at terrifying speed. It was only after the books crashed into the person, knocking them to the floor and piling over their body, that the truth finally registered.
It was a child who had opened the door and stepped into the archives.
“Holy smokes, my lady. It is just a little pup,” Taren exclaimed as he jumped to his feet and rushed toward the child without hesitation.
The haze in my head cleared instantly, and the full weight of what I had done crashed down on me all at once. I sprang to my feet as well and hurried after him, my heart pounding with confusion and guilt that tightened painfully in my chest.
“Oh my heavens, what have I done?” I cried, my voice trembling. “I had no idea it was a child. I thought, I thought…” The words refused to come, choking off in my throat as the guilt gnawed deeper into me and left me feeling hollow and sick.
Taren managed to pull the heavy pile of books off the child’s small body, but the sight that greeted him made my heart sink even further. The boy was completely unresponsive.
“We need to take him to Kaitlyn,” Taren said urgently, his voice tight with worry.
“No,” I rejected the idea immediately, the word leaving my mouth before I could second guess myself. I knew bringing others into this would only create more problems for us. “I can revive him,” I said firmly. Without waiting for his approval or protest, I dropped to my knees and placed my hand gently on the child’s head, calling upon my moon mark. I shut my eyes and forced myself to focus, blocking out everything else until the energy responded.
Moments later, the boy stirred and opened his eyes.
I pulled my hand away but remained on my knees, staring at him as he looked at me with pure fear and began to crawl backward, trying to put distance between us.
A heavy sigh escaped me, thick with relief and shame all at once. At that moment, Taren’s hand appeared beside me. I turned to look at him, my expression questioning and weary.
“Let me help you up,” he said gently, and I nodded, no longer having the strength to refuse. He must have sensed how drained I was, because I truly needed the support.
I reached for his hand, and what followed shocked the life out of me so violently that I did not even realize when I sprang to my feet.
The instant our hands touched, Taren bent forward sharply, clutching his chest with his free hand as a guttural scream tore out of his throat. Panic surged through me, and I yanked my hand away immediately, somehow knowing deep down that the contact between us was the cause.
As soon as I broke the connection, he collapsed to the floor, the scream cutting off abruptly as silence fell.
“What was that?” he asked hoarsely, just as shaken and confused as I was.
“I don't know,” I answered in a trembling voice. Every instinct urged me to rush to his side, yet my feet betrayed me, carrying me backward instead.
He frowned deeply. “What are you doing?” he asked as he pushed himself back up to his feet. I did not respond. Instead, I took another deliberate step away from him, widening the distance between us.
The confusion in his eyes intensified, but then something seemed to click, and his expression softened with understanding.
“Relax, my lady. Let us talk about this,” he said calmly, trying to reassure me.
I shook my head, fear tightening its grip on my chest.
“No. Don't come close to me. Stay away from me,” I said, retreating even farther from him.