The One Who Betrayed Her

The One Who Betrayed Her
Lyra woke up again. Her head hurt and she felt weak. The pain throbbed behind her head, and her whole body ached as if she had been thrown down a mountain. Her mouth felt dry, her throat burned with thirst.
Heavy chains around her wrists made her even weaker. The metal was cold and rough against her skin, leaving red marks where it rubbed. Every small movement sent sharp pains up her arms. She missed the sun and the forest where she used to feel safe. Now she was stuck in this cold stone prison with no one to talk to.

A torch in the hallway made scary shadows on the walls. The air felt thick and heavy. She had stopped counting how many hours or days she'd been here. Was it three days? Five? A week? Time had become like water, flowing around her without meaning. Time didn't matter anymore. All she felt was sadness and emptiness.

Then she heard footsteps in the hallway. The sound was faint at first, but it grew louder, more distinct. They were slow and careful.

Her heart started beating faster. She thought it might be Nira or one of the mean priests from the temple. Please not the priests, she thought desperately. Not their cold eyes and cruel smiles. But when she saw who it was, she couldn't breathe.

It was Riven.

She knew it was him right away when he stepped into the light. He usually walked with confidence, but now he looked tired. His shoulders sagged like he was carrying a heavy weight. His face, which was usually hard and mean, looked different. His dark eyes looked at her, but they weren't warm or sorry.

Lyra felt scared and sad. "What are you doing here?" she asked. The words came out as barely more than a whisper. She had meant to sound strong and angry, but instead she sounded small and broken.

Riven walked closer to her. He looked at the chains on her wrists, then back at her face.

"I came to see you," he said coldly. "I wanted to look at you before everything changes."

Before everything changes? What does that mean? "You—" Lyra could barely speak. "You brought me here. You betrayed me. Why? I thought you were my friend."

Riven smiled, but it wasn't a nice smile. He shook his head. "Friend? You never needed a friend. You needed someone to stop you from becoming what you're meant to become."

The words swirled in her head like a storm. What I'm meant to become? What is he talking about? Lyra's heart beat faster.

"What do you mean? What am I meant to become?"

Riven stepped closer. His voice got quiet and scary.
"You're not who you think you are, Lyra. A goddess lives inside you, whether you want to believe it or not. And you're going to destroy the world, not save it."

His words hit her like a punch. She could barely breathe. No, he's lying. He has to be lying. I'm not a monster. I'm not going to hurt anyone. "No..." she whispered. "No, you're wrong."

"I wish I was wrong," he said. His voice got harder. "But I've seen the signs. I've seen what's supposed to happen. Everything points to you. The goddess is going to wake up inside you."

He moved closer to the bars between them. "I'm not here to say sorry. I'm not here to explain. You might hate me for what I did, but I had to do it. You're dangerous to everyone around you. To Kael. To your pack. To the whole world."

Lyra felt like he had slapped her. Her whole body shook with shock and anger.

"No... Riven... you're lying."

But deep down, she started to wonder if maybe he was right. What if everything they told her about the goddess and the prophecy was true? What if she really was a monster? But she couldn't believe that. She wouldn't.

"You think locking me up like this is the right thing to do?" she said angrily. Her voice was getting stronger now, fed by her rage. The chains rattled as her hands clenched into fists. "You think you can stop me from being who I am?"

"You have no idea what you can really do," Riven said quietly. "You're already changing. You're already becoming the goddess's tool. You don't even know what's happening to you."

She wanted to scream at him, to tell him he was wrong, but part of her wondered if he could see something she couldn't.

"I know what's happening to me," she said back, though her voice shook a little. "I am me. I'm not some goddess's tool. And I won't let you tell me who I am."

His eyes got hard. "You can't fight what you are. You can't stop it. No matter how hard you try."

He stepped back and looked at something far away. "The truth is, I'm not saving the world by keeping you here. I'm saving you. You don't want to become what you're becoming. You've already changed too much."

Lyra felt sick from his words. She wanted to scream and yell, but all she could do was laugh sadly. "Saving me? You're a traitor, Riven. You chose to believe their lies. You chose their side."

For a second, Riven looked sorry, but it went away too fast. He moved closer to the bars.

"I never wanted this, Lyra. But this isn't about what we want. It's about what has to happen."

"You think this has to happen?" Her voice shook and tears filled her eyes. "You think betraying me and locking me up like an animal is the only way?"

Riven's face got hard like stone. "Yes. It's the only way."

She looked at him through the bars, her eyes blazing with a fury that surprised even her.

"Then I'll never forgive you," Lyra said quietly but fiercely, staring at him through the bars. "Never."

Riven stopped, then turned away with a heavy sigh. His footsteps echoed as he walked to the door. "You'll understand someday. When it's too late."

The door slammed shut behind him with a deafening bang, leaving Lyra alone in the cold, damp darkness of her cell. She sank to her knees, gasping for breath as her mind spun with confusion, rage, and grief. The betrayal stung deeper than any wound she had ever endured, and yet, somewhere in the deepest recesses of her heart, she couldn’t help but wonder if he was right.