章 15: Back

Leaning her head on the train's window, Lyra watches the changing view outside with her empty gaze. Everything around here seems so distant. Lyra unknowingly let herself be stuck in her own mind space where nothing around her matter. The passing of time and changing of space seems to be insignificant to Lyra at that moment. She just sits not even bothering to eat or sleep.

As the train reaches Blood Cloaked City, Lyra finally reacts and quickly picks up her luggage and backpack which are close to being empty. She then exits the crowded train. The bustling and liveliness of the station can't even affect Lyra's aloofness. She just walks past the ever-crowded station. When she exits out, she seems to have a deja vu moment. She realizes that she's in the same state as she was when she first came here to the city. Both right now and the first time, she came alone. She couldn't help but let out a self-mocking soft laugh.

"All this time, nothing really changed. I'm still weak."

She then exits the station and starts to walk without direction. She walks by busy streets where the crowd can cause a stampede. She passes through ordinary streets too. When she passes through deserted streets, it was often filled with thugs trying to rob, steal and kill passers-by. Unluckily for them when they decided to corner Lyra. They were meet by brutal and vicious attacks that left them deeply regretting targeting Lyra. Lyra without really thinking almost massacre a bunch of thugs and only halted her bloodthirstiness at the last moment. She blankly stares at her bloody knuckles and nonchalantly uses her shirt to wipe the blood off and continues walking.

Further in, she wonders without any aim. As she wonders she passes by a junkyard. In there, her attention is caught by a small box. She doesn't know why but she gets closer to examine it. She notices two figures on top of the box. One figure seems to be a prince and the other figure she could only guess to be a princess since the paint is already faded and it is chipped so badly. She notices a key handle on the side. Instinctively, she twists it. A broken melody is heard and the two figures on top of the box start to twirl. A sudden forgotten memory surfaces in Lyra's mind.

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"Mommy! Mommy look! Don't I look like a princess!" Lyra about three years old in a pink dress smiles without her two front teeth.

"Oh! I didn't even recognize it was you, sweetie! I thought you were a real princess!" Lyra's mother exclaims with a warm gentle smile.

"He!he!he! Even Mommy thinks I'm a princess!" Lyra full of smiles shouts happily.

"I heard the princess is here! Oh, where, oh where could the princess be!" Lyra's father exclaims as he teasingly ignores Lyra and searches around.

"I'm here! Here Daddy! Look!" Lyra cries out as she tugs at her father's clothes.

"Ah, now I see the Princess!" Lyra's father scoops her up and tickles her. Her laughter and her parents' laughter echoes in the entire room.

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The memory ends and there she stands amidst the rubbish alone. She looks up at the darkening sky and sighs. She then tucks the music box into her pocket. She then continues her aimless wandering. After a while, she finds herself in a familiar street and unconsciously follows it. She arrives in front of Madam Cherry's front gate. She stands there for quite a long while. She hesitates to enter.

Nina who couldn't sleep because of a nagging feeling to look outside the gate gets up and goes to check the front gate. Following her instinct, she stans in front of the and door and slowly opens it. To her surprise, she sees Lyra standing. She rushes out to meet her. When Nina finally reaches Lyra she instantly gave her a warm hug.

"Welcome back, Lyra!"

Lyra only nods and gives Nina a weak smile. Noticing Lyra's ragged clothing and grim look, Nina immediately pushes Lyra towards Madam's house. Lyra still reluctant to move slows her pace.

"Well hurry up and come in, dearie! Don't just stand there like some lost child!" Nina pulls Lyra hurriedly inside the house. Lyra smiles and finally let herself be pulled inside. There Nina immediately warmed up some food and serve some to Lyra. Then, she nags Lyra to take a good long soak and rest.

"Don't worry I'll tell Madam your back so you don't have to go to her office right now to do so."

Lyra nods. She then goes to her room and takes a bath. After that, she readies herself to go to sleep. But then she hears a knock.

"Sorry Lyra dearie, Seems like Madam wants to see you right now." Nina apologetically states.

"Okay." Lyra opens the door and follows Nina to Madam's office. Lyra reaches Madam's office and knocks.

"Enter."

Anxiously she enters Madam's office. Lyra biting her lips and anxiously walks in because she doesn't know what to expect or what to say to Madam. After all, Madam helped her so much and only for her to return empty-handed. Lyra thinks that she has wasted Madam's good intentions and help.

Once the door opened and Madam sees Lyra, she quickly walks towards her. Lyra seeing Madam's fast figure approaching her, couldn't help but feel anxious and tense. So she grips the side of her clothes and presses her lips to calm her down and stay still.

Unexpectedly, Madam engulfs Lyra with a warm tight hug.

"Thank goodness your safe and sound. I'm so glad your back." Madam whispers as she tightens her hug a bit more. Lyra overwhelmed hugs back. She then let herself sink into the warm embrace. For her, it seems that it's been so long since she felt this much warmth. Unknowingly she let silent tears flow freely down her face. Madam noticing Lyra's tears only hugs her close.

"Welcome back, Lyra."

"I'm back, Madam," she answers with a bit of a sob in her voice.