Alex started preparing himself to act in his new image. As he still was in the process of misleading Lyra.
Yet Alex didn't have much time as she had reached him in mere moments. Yet this wasn't because of any hidden super speed but because of Alex's slow reaction.
In the process of preparing himself he got lost in random thoughts leading his window of preparation to fly away.
Now Lyra stood in front Alex with an assertive glare in her eyes. Except hidden deep within them was fear.
Alex had not noticed this and instead matched her gaze. Yet he had already started his acting.
As hidden but still noticeable in his expression was submission, and fear. The fear was not brought by anything Alex was truly afraid of.
Instead he had hid the fear on purpose, a fear directed towards Lyra's intimidation. Meant to mislead Lyra into thinking Alex was afraid of her.
Alex was truly proud of his acting, then his little preparations were now going to show their effects. As Lyra began to start their conversation.
"So Alex, how was your dream last night?"
No amount of preparation could've prepared Alex for her first words. Alex stumbled through his mind for answers.
On the way getting distracted by conspiracies of Lyra. If maybe she had put the dream spider inside him.
Alex quickly answered so as to show his subtle fear of her. Except because of this Alex didn't have too much time to construct a good answer.
"It was pretty good, how about yours."
Lyra did not seem to hesitate by his answer, instead more weary of Alex. Then she quickly put on a serious expression.
This contrast from her previously blank and unfeeling character made Alex tense up. He then accidentally let a sliver of true fear seep into his expression.
Lyra immediately noticed it, no matter how minor the detail was she had noticed it. Now Alex had let Lyra know that he was royally lying straight to her face.
This had already ruined his acting, but now he was going to be questioned even further.
Well f**k.
Alex was sincerely disappointed in himself, yet he couldn't go back in time. So he started making up excuses to any questions or accusations Lyra would throw at him.
Then Lyra shifted herself, leaning on her other foot as she glared at Alex before speaking.
"Cut the bulls**t and stop lying, I know you dreamt of the damn spider!"
This sentence not only shattered Alex's hopes but also rebuilt them. Although on the good side his acting was still perfect.
It could even be seen as even better now. From her attitude Alex could tell that she took his mistake as weakness, further growing his acting.
While he was also able to foresee that the spider was not Lyra's. The curse Lyra addressed it clearly showed that she had no ties with it.
Clearing to worries Alex had, yet this wasn't enough to overshadow or even match the devastating problem it caused.
As now Alex was almost sure that she too had battled it in her dream. This was horrifying for Alex, even terrifying.
With his greatest source of training being shared with his greatest threat. If Lyra was able to grasp the potential the spider offered it'd be detrimental to Alex and any plans he'd have.
Now Alex's only hope of stripping that source of potential form Lyra would be to kill the spider. Not only will this be a pain, but Alex wasn't even sure if it'd work.
If another spider was infiltrating Lyra's mind, different from Alex's and Alex killed his spider his only hope of being better or even on par with her would be crushed.
Then Alex suddenly remembered Lyra was still in front of him. Patiently waiting for Alex's answer, to which he decided to answer truthfully.
"Yes I did dream of that wretched spider, even fought it."
Lyra didn't seem surprised by Alex's confession, instead delighted.
"Good, that's good. Alex I fought that thing too, and I think we'd both gain by exchanging what happened."
Alex wasn't too surprised that Lyra had fought the spider. While he also thought it was a good idea to exchange what had happened to them.
"Alright that sounds good to me."
Lyra was now gleeful, reflecting on her young age for the first time since the crash. This confused Alex, yet he felt more happy seeing Lyra like that.
Yet he didn't know why.
"Alright I'll go first."
This too surprised Alex, as he had not expected her to go first, yet he was happy about this. As hearing her story first he could purposely withhold information from her.
…
In Lyra's dream, on the previous night.
"Where am I?"
Lyra was in her dream, but what saved her more was that she was fully conscious. While even more surprising she was not able to control her subconscious.
She wandered around. Which seemed to be a never ending library. Yet it was one like she had never seen.
Disregarding the never ending part, the library was one straight line with infinitely tall bookshelves flanking the carpeted path.
While Lyra traveled down she met crossroads. Where the library would have another path perpendicular to the one she was one, intersecting.
She never strayed from her path though. Instead choosing to head straight and not turn in any unknown path.
After a while of her journey through the unchanging library she had a sudden thought.
Damn why haven't I checked any of these books out.
At this thought Lyra picked up a nearby book, taking it off its shelf to inspect. As she grazed the red spine of the book, and read its title.
"Food fight, hmm what a strange name for a book."
Lyra then opened it to its first page. Yet the moment the book was opened Lyra's surroundings suddenly changed.
As the library shifted into a school cafeteria, just as gloomy as all the others. With kids talking to one another sitting at tables, differentiating the different groups of kids.
While they occasionally scooped some of their food, that resembled slop, and forced it into their mouths, before quickly swallowing.
Lyra was in the corner of the room watching the actions unfold. Although she had tried interacting with the nearby kids she was unable to.
She also knew where she was. Located in her childhood middle school.
Then a kid suddenly picked up a handful of their slop and threw it at a nearby kid. That one throw caused a spiral of reactions.
Eventually leading to the whole cafeteria in a disgusting, but fun battle. Where kids hid under tables with handfuls of slop in their hands.
It was full on chaos. Yet Lyra was unfazed, instead dazed and confused. As this scene had played in front of her before.
She quickly walked over to a nearby table and checked under it. To her expectation she, or rather a younger version of herself was hiding under there.
Although she had expected it she was shocked by the vivid details of the memory. Before sitting down and waiting out the battle.
As she sat, many handfuls of slop flew right through her. Then it finally dwindled into nothing before Lyra's surroundings started candying again.
Forming right back into the endless library.
As she came back to herself she climbed onto the books before grabbing one that'd usually be out of her reach.
It was a yellow book yet for some reason it had no title. Then Lyra opened the book and yet nothing happened.
Instead Lyra was faced with empty pages, as she flipped through the pages, yet nothing but blank paper was found.
So these books must be what contains my memories, and what will contain my memories.
She had figured out the purpose of the library, but felt no reason to keep searching for memories. Instead she chose to continue forward.
As she walked past more and more books, she now knew where her memories were. Yet the further she went the stranger she felt.
Then the unchanging surroundings of the library finally showed an error. As strung across the floor to a high point of the library wall was a giant spider web.
Immensely shocking Lyra, as the space between wall from wall was the size of a house, as yet the spider web easily traversed and connected the distance.
Although filled with fear Lyra was filled with more curiosity, as she instead continued forward after briefly inspecting the spider web.
Which she noted to feel like steel.
…
After a while of traversing through the endless library it was now almost completely covered in spider webs.
While Lyra stood still, frozen in place, while her gaze was fixed on one thing. As in the near distance was a huge spider hanging sideways on a web.
Lyra had finally found the source of the unnatural spider webs. While she knew that the spider did not belong in her dream or wherever she was.
While her gaze was fixed on the spider the illusory system screen popped up. Temporarily distracting Lyra from the side as she read what was on the screen
[Dream Spider has devoured Branch Spear]
Although Lyra was shocked she instead used that shock to motivate herself to defeat the spider. As now Lyra wanted to kill the spider before any more ruins could be destroyed.
As she then summoned her double edged sword, ignoring the fact that the system was working inside her mind she charged toward the spider.
The loud patter of footsteps quickly alerted the spider, causing it to move its multiple legs so that it was facing Lyra.
From its moving legs Lyra suddenly noticed its razor sharp legs. Yet she didn't slow down in her tracks, instead preparing for any attacks the spider had ready.
Then as she grew closer to the spider it raised one of its sharp legs and began to drive it down towards Lyra. She quickly dodged to the right of the leg, avoiding its devastation.
Before catching the attention of the spider, causing it to hurl another leg at Lyra, except this time from her left side.
As at the perfect moment she jumped over the impending attack, before quickly changing her direction to the spider's stuck legs.
As with the previous attack the downstroke had caused the spider's sharp leg to pry in between the library floors, causing it to be stuck.
Taking advantage of this Lyra climbed atop the spider's limb and ran up it. Carefully but swiftly running up the spider's leg and nearing the spider's head.
Lyra had then reached the top of the spider, and then jumped off. Bringing her sword above her head, before arriving in front of the spider's face.
Lyra's sword hung right above one of the wretched arachnids fangs. As Lyra then brought her sword down as hard as she could.
The combined force of the swing and her jump, backed by the sharpness of her blade created an unparalleled attack that then sliced clean through the fang.
Lyra quickly landed and rolled, dispersing the fall, while the spider roared in rage, while a huge mass of purple liquid came out as well.
The purple liquid soared through the air straight toward Lyra. Yet right before the mysterious liquid could collide with her she had suddenly woken up.
…
Lyra had just finished her story with the spider, leaving Alex completely and utterly shocked.