Chapter 5: A Simple, Yet, Not So Simple Soulmate
Lyra (2022)
Lyra's head ached to no end as she opened her silver eyes to a room that in fact was not her own. Anxiety slithered its way into her veins, making her heart rate accelerate. The bed she lay in had deep purple sheets, and satin pillowcases. She felt as if she was lying on a cloud, made specifically for her. It was heavenly, and she thought if she didn't leave the bed now, there would be no way that she would leave, ever.
She was shocked when she carefully pulled the covers off her body, mainly because she was not in the same clothes that she was in when... when she... she didn't even want to think about that at that moment. She was dressed in a large black shirt that came to her mid thigh, and her underwear beneath it. She drew in a sharp breath, and sighed in relief. She hadn't been completely undressed and that eased her nerves, but only a little. Her anxiety was spiking higher and higher as she made her way into the bathroom that connected to this mysterious room. She saw the bare essentials laid out on the sink's counter. A brush, some toothpaste, a toothbrush, and deodorant. She went ahead and used them after taking a quick shower, to wash her hair and her body. When she emerged from the bathroom, she saw a bag that she immediately recognized. She gasped and rushed over to it and searched its contents.
She was elated to find some of her own clothes, and some of her most endeared and important items. One of her tarot decks, her favorite to be more specific. An herbal tarot deck with imagery and symbolism that gave Lyra absolute chills. She carefully scanned through the cards in an attempt to calm her soaring nerves. When she was done looking through her cards, she found a pair of brown pants that flared out at the bottoms, and an off white long sleeve shirt. She quickly slipped them on and made her way towards what she assumed would be the exit to the room. "Stop being a wuss" She grumbled to herself as she placed her hand on the golden, probably antique door knob. The entire essence of this room screamed luxury, and Lyra was definitely alien to such.
Just as she was about to turn the knob, she felt it turn. Quickly, she jumped back as if the door was on fire, and a rather large man appeared as soon as it swung open. Lyra backed up some more, and stared into probably the most mesmerizing pair of eyes she'd ever seen. Dark gray and specks of blue encapsulated her mind. So much so that she didn't even hear the first part of the man's sentence. "Uhm, I'm sorry, what did you say?" She asked sheepishly, embarrassed that she hadn't been paying attention to anything but his eyes. "I asked you how your sleep was. I didn't want to wake you." He repeated, with a comforting smile. She was glad he didn't make fun of her lack of attention span and coughed hesitantly. "Uhm, Well, I'd say that I had a fairly decent rest, however, I don't think I'm in the same place I was when I, well went to sleep. And to be fair, I'm pretty anxious about it. Do you mind telling me who you are and why I'm here? The details are a bit hazy." Lyra laughed nervously, hoping this gorgeous, Adonis like creature would tell her what she needed to know. She had near enough mysteries, and adventures, she wanted answers.
She could tell that she wasn't in immediate danger, but that didn't mean she could let her guard down in a place as strange as this. It was a few minutes before the man responded to her. Like Lyra, he had been staring straight into her soul, and it made her heart jump nearly out of her skin. "You don't know who I am?" He laughed, it was small, but filled with amusement. "Does Midnight ring a bell? My real name is Thyrius, though, my wolf's name is Night, so you were close when naming me at the cottage." His smile widened with each word, and there was a playful tone lining his voice. Lyra stiffened, and was immediately flustered to find out that he was in fact, Midnight, the large majestic beast she saved in the forest. Her cheeks flushed a vibrant pink and Thyrius burst into laughter. It was music to her ears, that had also been stained pink with embarrassment. "I uh, I named you after the color of your fur" She mumbled, a smile threatened to appear at the corner of her lips. When she managed to look back up into his eyes, she saw a look of concern make its way to his face. "We do have a lot to talk about if you'll come with me, Lyra" His voice was so buttery and deep, she had to keep herself from swooning. He was right, there was so much to discuss, and she didn't even know where to start.
The two of them made their way out of the room and down a seemingly endless hallway. She passed by several rooms, and she wondered who lived here, and how many who's lived here. When they reached a beautiful staircase, she felt her anxiety spike up again. She never really enjoyed meeting new people, and she had a good feeling that that was going to happen when she descended this immaculately sculpted staircase. Truly, it looked as if it belonged in a castle. Lyra could tell that Thyrius had sensed her anxiety, and he placed a hand on the small of her back, encouraging her to go down the stairs. She almost instantly calmed down, and looked at him with a small smile before taking the first few steps leading to who knew what.