Lyra Voss had, for most of her life, believed that she was pretty strong, pretty capable—at least enough to handle what the world might throw at her.But life in the last few years had shown her that just when she thought it couldn't get any worse, it became twice as bad.Sick relativesFamily issuesAn underpaying jobDebts... loads of debtAnd now this.Clutching her mom's hand with her plastic-covered ones, she couldn't help but break down in tears."I-I... I ca-n't, I can't—Mom... I'm so tired... I can't do this anymore," she stuttered out, her words a slobbering mess.Gently placing her shielded face against her mom's hands, she sobbed heavily, her voice echoing against the walls of the single room in time with the beeps from the cardiac monitor and the whirring of the ventilator.She couldn't help it. She was just about to drown in her problems.Turns out she wasn't as strong as she thought she was after all.---"Hey... sorry to disturb you, but I heard there was an opening, an

Dark...Everywhere was dark, and her head was ringing. It was loud, incessant, and annoying.Struggling to open her eyes, her gaze came into contact with the glare of the sun, causing dark spots to fill her vision.Stunned, she hastily sat up, the throbbing in her head reaching new heights as she tried to scan the area with her barely opened eyes."...Lyra... Don't..." Someone was talking to her, but she couldn't hear a thing."Ugh..." Slapping away in the direction of the sound, she struggled to stand up, the fog in her eyes clearing up a bit as the ringing in her head reduced, but she overestimated her body's strength as she fell back helplessly.She braced herself for the fall, but an arm stopped her from reaching the ground.Opening her eyes this time, she could see clearly, but the sunlight made her squint.She raised her hands to shield her eyes but stopped in place, her mouth opened wide in shock.Her hands were currently flickering, their shape distorting, flitting into a garb

Having already broken the city rules, Lyra knew that they had very little time left for their mission.Moving her gaze from the eye-catching commotion, she steadied herself, holding her side in pain. Turning to her partner, she smiled wryly."I never really got your name. How about we have a reintroduction... I'm Lyra Voss," she said, stretching out her hand.The young man raised an eyebrow at her sudden change in demeanour, his confusion evident. "Should we be doing this now? I mean, Mr. Rhett and the rest might be in trouble."Lyra's eyes locked onto Victor's, her gaze unwavering. She cracked a small, determined smile, and Victor's expression softened. He shook her hand, a hint of curiosity in his eyes. "Well, I'm Victor. Victor Payton."Noticing his doubts, Lyra smiled, but it looked a little sad. "I don't know what might happen after this... but I at least want to know the name of someone who saved me.""I've also had some stereotypes towards you before, and I'd like to apologize

Removing her soaked raincoat and swiping her wet feet against the equally drenched welcome mat, a little girl stepped into the modest house she shared with her mom and dad.The door shut behind her with a soft thud, sealing off the rhythmic patter of the rain. She skipped toward the kitchen, purposefully ignoring her mother’s disapproving gaze—a gaze that had warned her earlier not to play in the rain outside.“There’s a cup of tea on the small table beside the fridge. Drink it so you don’t catch a cold,” her mom instructed, her voice gentle but firm.“Okay, Momma,” the girl chirped, heading toward the fridge.Behind her, her mother’s lips curved into a smile as she watched the little girl’s carefree movements. But the smile didn’t last, as it soon dissolved into a frown.Too young to notice the tension hanging thick in the air, the girl continued toward her tea.She spotted the cup exactly where her mother said it would be. It was her favorite white china with little blue roses that

"Gotcha."The voice was a whisper behind her ear.Lyra twisted on instinct, kicking backwards.Too late."Tch. slow," Quinn said lazily, stepping aside as she caught Lyra’s leg mid-air and then with a fling, sent her sprawling across the training square.Lyra hit the ground hard, face-first. Gritting her teeth, she rolled and sprang up quickly, ignoring the outstretched hand offered to her.Dusting herself off, she glanced at the blonde woman leaning against the shadows of a stone archway. "How'd I do this time?"Ava stepped forward, arms crossed, her golden dreads catching the light. "You're faster, definitely. But your mental defenses are still weak."She gestured toward Quinn. "She sensed you were close to detecting her, so she used your fear. Made you think she'd already caught you—and it threw off your rhythm. You reacted, instead of acting."Lyra’s lips tightened. Ava was right. The moment she hea