Suddenly, the sky darkened, thunder cracking overhead like a warning shot. Lyra froze as the wind howled through the trees, and a chill crept over her skin. She looked up at the clouds that were pitch black and swirling unnaturally.
Then, without warning, a figure cloaked in midnight emerged before her.
It took Lyra a moment to register what was happening. The storm, the eerie stillness that followed, and then an inexplicable calm settled over her, as if the chaos within her had been abruptly silenced.
Her steps faltered as the figure approached, it's movements fluid, almost ethereal. However her heart pounded like a war drum, yet her limbs felt like lead. Fear clutched her chest like icy fingers.
"W-who are you?" she whispered, barely managing the words. She stumbled back, her heel grazing the edge of the lake behind her.
The figure remained silent. But then it slowly moved closer, until it stood right before her. Its presence was overwhelming, yet strangely... gentle.
