Twilight's Descent: From Stars to Souls

• f i v e •

A week had passed since Lyra and Orion had exchanged a single word. Orion's unexplained coldness left Lyra feeling hurt and confused. She couldn't understand why he had been so unnecessarily mean to her, and the silence between them weighed heavily on her heart.

But, during the few classes they had together and occasionally during meal times, the tension between them was palpable, a silent undercurrent that crackled in the air whenever their eyes met. Each glance exchanged between them was laden with unspoken words, a silent battle of wills that played out in the depths of their gaze.

However, Lyra knew better.

She was determined to not be the one approaching him to 'fix' things. Though she wasn't quite sure if he even owed her anything at all to begin with.

Determined to distract herself from the ache of disappointment, Lyra threw herself into her research. She spent countless hours poring over old records and dusty archives, searching for any clue that might lead her closer to the publishers contact. 

She read hundreds of articles and previous record papers.

With each new discovery, a spark of excitement ignited within her, driving her to delve deeper into the labyrinth of history in search of answers. And though the trail seemed to grow colder with each passing day, Lyra refused to give up hope, clinging to the belief that somewhere out there, the key to unlocking the secrets of her past awaited her.

In her quest for answers, Lyra even approached Bennet herself.

She didn't need Orion's help to work with Bennet in finding information.

Though Bennet was eager to know that why the two new (and insanely attractive) kids were determined to find insights on a random and old publishing house. He suspected things but was way to friendly to let it get to him.

Moreover, he was enjoying the company of his new friends.

Only a couple of days ago Lyra found out that Bennet had a crush on Emma since forever.

That day Lyra and Bennet were trying to look up more articles about the publishers. The soft hum of computers filled the air as they sat side by side in the computer lab, their attention focused on the screen in front of them. 

Around them, other students chatted and laughed as they played games or worked on assignments.

Bennet, with his easy charm and golden retriever personality, was in his element, effortlessly striking up conversations with anyone who crossed his path. He was a natural flirt, his friendly demeanor making him popular among his peers, but as Lyra soon discovered, there was one subject that seemed to make him unusually shy.

"So, Bennet," Lyra said, she wasn't much of a talker till now, but she found herself coming out of her shell eventually. She caught onto his subtle attempts to steer the conversation toward a certain topic. "I couldn't help but notice that you seem particularly interested everything about Emma."

Bennet's cheeks flushed slightly, a sheepish grin spreading across his face as he tried to play it cool. "Oh, uh, yeah," he stammered, his normally confident facade faltering for a moment. "I just... you know, find her really interesting that's all."

But Lyra wasn't about to let him off the hook that easily. Leaning in closer, she fixed him with a knowing look. "Come on, Bennet," she teased, nudging him playfully with her elbow. "You can't hide it from me for much longer."

Bennet's eyes widened in surprise, his cheeks turning an even deeper shade of red as he realized he had been caught. "How did you... I mean, I... um," he stammered, at a loss for words as he struggled to come up with a convincing response.