Scene 1 – Whispered Light (Lyra's Perspective)
The darkness was vast. Not scary—just quiet. Like being underwater in a still lake with no bottom. I drifted through it, weightless, aware of the world above but unable to surface. Time didn't move here. Only feelings.
But then... something reached me. A warm pull, familiar. Gentle pressure on my hand. A whisper.
"Lyra... I don't know if you can hear me. But I need to tell you the truth."
Marcus.
His voice threaded through the silence like silk. Every word wove images into my mind—his father, the Obsidian Court, the fake identity. Markus Thorne. And me. I felt the tremor in his soul when he said it: "You made me question everything. And now... I think I'm falling for you."
That's when it happened. The veil thinned. My thoughts found his.
You idiot, I said with what I hoped sounded like affection. You could've just asked me out.
His laugh echoed inside me like music, and I swear I felt his lips on mine—soft, trembling.
Not yet, I told him. But close. I felt you. I always did. I'll keep your secret. But you owe me a real explanation. And maybe lunch.
His response was simple. Honest. "I'm here. And I'm not leaving."
That was the moment the darkness started breaking.
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Scene 2 – Breath of the Living (Lyra's Perspective)
My eyes fluttered open to a blurry ceiling. Harsh lights. The sterile scent of antiseptic. A dull ache lived behind my eyes, but the world was real again.
I turned slowly. The chair beside me was empty—but it still held the warmth of someone who'd sat there all night.
"Marcus..." I whispered.
Footsteps rushed in. Katherine. She gasped and clutched my hand.
"You're awake! LYRA! You—" She sobbed and laughed at once, calling for the medics.
A flood of people came in—Guild healers, Broadman, even Jeremiah with wide eyes. But I was still reeling, because Marcus... he wasn't here.
Later, when the others left, I stared at the ceiling and let the memory of that kiss—our telepathic moment—wrap around me like a second skin.
He told me he was falling for me. He said he'd wait.
And something in me knew—we'd crossed a line. Nothing would be the same.
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Scene 3 – Leo's Revelation
At the Meta-Human Academy, a soft chime echoed through the marble halls. Students gathered in the Evaluation Room's upper gallery. Today was a re-entry evaluation for a young candidate hoping to enroll late—Leo.
Katherine and Jeremiah stood off to the side, watching.
A man in silver robes addressed the crowd.
"We call forward: Mark Andre Leo Vance."
Jeremiah blinked. "Wait... Mark?"
Leo adjusted his hoodie awkwardly and walked forward.
"I never knew your name was Mark," Jeremiah muttered.
Leo shrugged, not turning around. "Stopped using it after I got kidnapped last year. Felt like someone else's name."
A low hush passed through the room. Kidnapping wasn't rare anymore, but surviving it... was another thing.
Leo stepped into the circle as shimmering light scanned his form. The machine pulsed. Then, the result appeared.
"B-Rank. Lightning Affinity."
Gasps.
"Lightning?" someone whispered. "Didn't his grandfather wield that?"
"The last known lightning user died fifteen years ago," another said.
Jeremiah stared, stunned. "Holy hell, Leo."
The boy stood motionless, eyes wide, the light crackling faintly between his fingers.
It wasn't just potential. It was legacy.
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Scene 4 – Threads of Destiny
In the courtyard outside the Academy, Lyra sat in a wheelchair beneath the shade of a flowering tree. She watched the clouds roll over the skyline and felt the breeze tickle her skin. Her recovery was almost complete, but her thoughts weren't in the present. Not fully.
She sensed him before she saw him.
Marcus approached slowly, dressed in a dark Guild uniform, but without his usual bravado. He stopped a few feet away.
"I wasn't sure you'd want to see me," he said.
Lyra looked up. "I dreamed about you, Marcus. But it wasn't a dream, was it?"
He shook his head. "No. It was real. I meant every word."
Silence. And then she reached out her hand.
He took it.
"I don't know what this thing between us is," Lyra said softly. "But... I want to find out. No more masks. No more lies."
"I promise."
Above them, the clouds parted slightly, revealing a sliver of sun. Somewhere in the distance, lightning cracked the sky.
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