Lyra did not leave the prison hallway after Kieran walked out with the warriors. She just stood there for a while, holding the bars softly like she needed something steady because her legs felt weak. The cell was cold and dim, and her mother sat quietly inside it, not talking, not arguing, not asking for anything. It made the whole place feel heavier.

Lyra’s throat felt tight. She didn’t know what to do or how to think. Her mother had admitted some things and refused other things, and ...