Chronis the awakening

It was another ordinary day for Kael in the bustling city, as the cars moved along the highway close to the bookshop owned by the Alaric family, Kael gazed down at his phone at the bookshop's counter, hoping to get an invite to the upcoming birthday of the campus beauty queen, Lyra. All his friends had been invited, so he figured that probably he too would get. But he himself knew that was just wishful thinking, but there was no harm in hoping for a bit of luck, was there? It was on a Thursday afternoon, and all the invites were to be sent out by that evening, so everyone invited could prepare for the celebration on SaturdayHe was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't even notice someone walk through the door Someone called out his name, which brought him back to realityHe looked up only to see Lyra stand right in front of him He couldn't believe it, even for a second; he thought he was hallucinating. He bit his lip so hard that it started to bleed, refusing to accept the fact that Lyra was standing right in front of him. She waved at him, hoping to get his attention. The good thing was that she had no clue what Kael was thinking, so he was safe, if you can say that That's when Kael snapped back to reality and greeted her"How may I help you, Lyra?" he said in a firm voice"I just came to deliver the invitation to my birthday personally," she saidHis jaw didn't just drop; it packed a small suitcase and checked into a lower dental district. He couldn't believe it. If he were to be honest with himself, he would say that what was happening was only possible in an alternate reality, but it was right there in front of him, the invitation card being handed to him by Lyra. The unexpected paper crackled lightly in his fingers. He stared at her, then at the envelope, then back at her. The gesture was so far outside the realm of possibility that it had short-circuited his entire nervous system. His eyebrows were locked high on his forehead, giving him the startled, wide-eyed look of an owl caught on a brightly lit lawn. He didn't speak; he just held the invite, the silence between them swelling until it was thicker than the cardstock itself. She snatched the invite back for a second, tapping it lightly against her hip. "Oh, stop. It's not a crime, it's just... logistics. My mother insisted that the seating chart needed symmetry, and someone canceled at the last minute. Honestly, you're the only person I could think of who looks halfway decent in a suit and won't spill anything crucial. So, just show up. Don't make it a thing. You're doing me a favor, okay?" Kael still couldn't believe it, but he decided to ignore the red flags and went along with it. "Uuum, alright, I'm cool with it, I'll show up," he replied like he didn't care, but he knew he was exploding inside. She gave a sharp, almost defensive nod, already turning toward the door. The invitation was a mistake; she knew it, he knew it, but neither of them could take back the electricity of the moment."Fine," she stated, her voice tight, not looking back. "Try not to be late. It genuinely ruins the aesthetic."But as her hand found the cool brass of the door handle, she paused. The air in the narrow bookshop aisle thickened, smelling suddenly of old paper and ozone. She didn't turn around, but he could practically feel the warmth radiating from her back. It was a silent challenge, a breathless few seconds that held more significance than all the polite small talk they'd ever exchanged. Then, in a movement that was maybe a little too fast, she pushed the door open, the bell above it jingling a desperate, high-pitched alarm. She disappeared into the late afternoon light, leaving behind only the unsettled quiet and the faint, lingering scent of expensive perfume—a scent that suddenly felt essential to the survival of the dusty bookshop itself. He didn't move until the sound of her expensive shoes clicking against the pavement finally faded. He couldn't admit it, but he was over the moon