Lyra woke up much later than usual.

The light in the room was already bright, spilling through the curtains and warming the floor, and that alone told her something was wrong. She was not the kind of person who slept this long. Even on days when her body felt weak or her mind felt heavy, she usually woke early. There was always something pulling her back into the world.

Today, there was nothing.

She lay still for a few seconds, staring at the ceiling, waiting for the familiar sensations to ...