Toward the Grey

Lyra's story was no longer a rumor—it had started to become a legend.

Everything changed that morning when two moons appeared in the sky.

Nothing was ever the same after that day.

She lay on her soft, cloud-like bed, staring up at the ceiling—not really seeing it, but lost in hazy memories of the past.

The two moons…

Her separation from her mother...

The arrival of Alice...

The three sacred powers...

Waltor…

Her true mother, Clara, and her father, Malgor...

Everything had become a tangled mess.

Inside, she felt like she was drowning in a whirlpool of unanswered questions and uncertainty.

But amidst all the chaos, there was only one thing she knew for sure: Alice.

She felt a bond with Alice, one she couldn't explain.

It wasn't just admiration—it was a deep, comforting love.

Being near her felt like taking refuge in the safest place in the world.

Even the absence of Defne, the woman she had long believed to be her mother, hadn't weighed as heavily when Alice was there.

Alice had embraced her not as a mother, but as a protector.

Perhaps even more than a mother.

Yet the mysteries still lingered.

What was the curse?

Why had it chosen her?

What did it want from her?

Suddenly, the soft click of the golden-lit door snapped her out of her thoughts.

The world of dreams faded, and she returned to the present.

And to think—just yesterday, she was living on Earth with her mother, unaware of anything.

The door creaked open slowly.

Alice stepped inside and asked gently,

— "Still not asleep?"

Lyra, like a timid child, murmured,

— "No…"

Alice walked over and gently tucked a loose strand of Lyra's hair behind her ear.

The moment her deep blue eyes met Lyra's gray ones, a sacred light bloomed between them.

The bed, dressed in soft shades of white and blue, seemed to embody pure serenity.

Golden light streamed through the door and windows, casting a fantastical glow throughout the room.

The beam of light that shone on Lyra, lying atop the bed, seemed to piece together the broken fragments of her past and complete what was missing.

That light… was love.

But where had that love come from?

Silence filled the room.

But this silence carried both peace and a creeping sense of fear.

Just like the war waging inside Lyra.

The battle of white and black.

Of love and hatred.

Two souls, forbidden to love, yet hopelessly in love.

If they were to unite, they'd lose their very selves.

And if they remained apart, their love would slowly devour them.

They were the embodiment of love bound by conflict.

Alice couldn't take her eyes off Lyra.

The young girl before her had no idea about the hidden history of her parents' love… and their war.

She was so pure, so innocent.

Alice couldn't even bear to look at her for too long.

Lyra wasn't just the product of Clara and Malgor's love—

She was also the symbol of their enmity.

Alice took a deep breath and whispered softly,

— "Sleep now, my dear… Your real story begins tomorrow. You'll learn everything."

She gently closed Lyra's eyelids with her fingertips, placing a soft kiss on her forehead.

And thought to herself,

"She looks so much like Clara..."

She turned toward the door.

Before switching off the light, she looked back one last time.

But in that moment, the girl she had just compared to Clara… no longer resembled her.

No.

She looked nothing like Clara anymore.

She looked exactly like Malgor.

---

Morning light streamed into the room as Lyra slowly opened her eyes.

Though, calling it "waking up" didn't feel quite right.

Her mind hadn't stopped turning since the moment she closed them.

She sat up in bed and looked around.

Time felt like it had no meaning here.

What time was it?

Was there even such a thing as time in this place?

The dress she wore reached just above her knees.

Her slender feet were bare and pale against the icy floor.

Her long hair and gray eyes formed a quiet harmony.

But Lyra had no idea how beautiful she was.

She was still so inexperienced.

So unformed.

She walked over to the thing that resembled a window—though it looked nothing like the windows she knew.

Outside, everything was covered in a veil of gray mist.

Far below, a green land stretched out, full of strange creatures roaming and unknown objects drifting through the sky.

She turned toward the door and opened it slowly.

The moment her feet touched the ground, she flinched at the cold.

The floor was like glass—gleaming and smooth, as cold as ice.

The walls were glass too, yet nothing could be seen beyond them.

At the end of a long corridor stood two people, their eyes fixed on Lyra.

She took one hesitant step forward.

The sharp sound of her movement echoed through the corridor.

Then a voice rang out:

— "Lyra has left her room!"

Before she could understand what was happening, Alice appeared before her.

Lyra instinctively turned to go back, but Alice's outstretched hand gently stopped her.

Once again, that familiar warmth began to rise inside her.

Alice's presence was like a soft blanket calming her storms.

— "So, you're awake…" Alice said.

Lyra didn't respond. She didn't know what to say.

She had just turned eighteen.

She was a little shorter than Alice.

Anyone looking from the outside would instantly see how inexperienced and timid she was.

Her eyes held both curiosity and fear.

She was young.

And stunning.

Alice reached out her hand.

— "Come with me."

Alice walked ahead, and Lyra followed behind her through the corridor of glass.

They passed glowing doors, strange beings, and unknown shapes.

Everyone they encountered bowed slightly and watched Lyra as they passed.

She felt every gaze, but she didn't dare lift her head.

Voices whispered all around her:

— "So that's her…"

— "Is she the one?"

— "She's beautiful."

— "She looks like her father."

— "No, more like her mother."

— "Is she the only heir?"

— "Only she's left."

— "Could she stop Waltor?"

— "Don't be ridiculous—she's the only way out."

Lyra acted like she couldn't hear them, but inside, her curiosity grew stronger.

She walked in silence behind Alice, her steps small and trembling.

Back on Earth, she had felt like a young woman.

But here…

Here, she felt like a child.

Small, unguarded, and lost.

After a while, Alice stopped.

Lyra stopped too.

And for the first time, dared to lift her head and truly look around.

They were standing on what felt like a hill, where time and space no longer seemed to exist.

Below stretched a breathtaking landscape—lush meadows, endless flowers in every color, trees that danced in the wind, rivers that sang…

It looked like paradise.

— "Do you like it?" Alice asked.

Lyra, eyes wide with wonder, simply said,

— "So much…"

Alice smiled mischievously.

— "You're even more beautiful," she teased.

Lyra blushed deep red.

Alice noticed and tried to comfort her with a gentle tone.

— "Lyra… are you ready?"

— "To grow, to change, to gain strength… and to learn the truth?"

For the first time, Lyra hesitated.

Until now, she had wanted to know everything.

But this time, she was silent.

That strange feeling inside her had shifted into fear.

Was she truly ready?

Even she…

didn't know.