Chapter 3: That one friend

“Don’t move.”

Lyra’s voice echoed through the tiny apartment as Kaelith stood stiffly beside the cracked window, rainwater still dripping from the ends of her dark hair onto the wooden floorboards.

The apartment above the candle shop was so small it barely held enough space for two people to breathe comfortably. Shelves crowded every wall, stacked with wax jars, bundles of dried herbs, and half-melted candles that filled the room with the comforting scent of cinnamon smoke and lavender.

Normally, Kaelith loved this place.

Tonight, however, everything felt distant and unreal, as though the world she knew had shattered hours ago and left her standing inside the ruins.

Lyra kicked the door shut behind her before tossing a bundle of clothes onto the bed.

“You look like death crawled out of a river,” she announced bluntly. “We’re fixing that first.”

Kaelith wrapped her arms around herself weakly, still feeling hollow from everything that had happened.

“I shouldn’t even be here.”

“Correct.” Lyra pointed dramatically toward the hallway. “You should be standing in some expensive ballroom right now, making your ex regret every terrible decision he’s ever made.”

A laugh almost escaped Kaelith.

Almost.

But the ache inside her chest still sat too heavily for real amusement.

Her eyes drifted toward the bruises darkening around her wrist where Cassian had grabbed her earlier.

Instantly, his voice echoed through her mind again.

You’re overreacting.

Her stomach twisted painfully.

Lyra noticed the change in her expression immediately.

“No.”

Kaelith blinked slowly. “What?”

“You are not doing that again.” Lyra walked toward her and gently lifted her chin. “You are not standing in my room blaming yourself because some arrogant Alpha heir decided to treat you like a disposable toy.”

Kaelith looked away.

“He chose her.”

“Then he’s an idiot.”

“It’s not that simple.”

“It actually is.” Lyra crossed her arms firmly. “A man either stands beside you publicly, or he doesn’t deserve access to you privately.”

Kaelith swallowed hard.

The words hurt because they were true.

Lyra’s expression softened slightly when she saw the pain flicker across Kaelith’s face.

“Take off the dress.”

Kaelith stared at her in disbelief. “What?”

“You heard me.”

“Lyra—”

“Kaelith.”

That tone made it very clear resistance was pointless.

With slow, reluctant fingers, Kaelith untied the rough servant dress she had worn all day. The damp fabric slid down her body and pooled around her feet.

Cold air brushed against her skin immediately.

Instinctively, she folded her arms across herself.

Not out of modesty.

Because suddenly she felt exposed in every possible way.

The bruise on her cheek had darkened faintly beneath the candlelight, and thin scars crossed her shoulders from years of kitchen burns, heavy labor, and servant work.

For the first time in a long while, Kaelith truly saw herself through someone else’s eyes.

Fragile.

Exhausted.

A girl shaped entirely by survival.

Lyra disappeared into the wardrobe and immediately began throwing dresses aside with dramatic irritation.

“No.”

Another dress flew behind her.

“No.”

A second one followed.

“Absolutely not.”

Kaelith would have laughed under different circumstances.

Then Lyra suddenly froze.

“Aha.”

She turned around slowly, holding a gown made from deep midnight-blue silk.

The dress shimmered beneath the candlelight like liquid moonlight pouring over dark water.

Kaelith’s breath caught instantly.

It was beautiful.

The neckline curved elegantly across the shoulders while silver embroidery twisted along the sides like frost-covered vines.

“I can’t wear that,” Kaelith whispered.

“You absolutely can.”

“It probably costs more than my entire existence.”

“That,” Lyra said while pushing the gown into her arms, “is exactly why you should wear it.”

Kaelith hesitated.

Then Lyra’s expression softened.

“Tonight isn’t about hiding anymore.”

Something inside Kaelith shifted at those words.

It was small. Fragile. Barely noticeable.

But it was there.

Hope.

Or maybe anger.

At this point, she couldn’t tell the difference.

Lyra helped her into the gown carefully, tightening the back ribbons until the silk hugged Kaelith’s figure perfectly.

When Kaelith finally turned toward the mirror, she barely recognized the woman staring back at her.

The servant girl was gone.

In her place stood someone elegant.

Someone dangerous.

Someone who looked like she belonged beside kings instead of scrubbing floors beneath them.

Lyra grinned proudly.

“There she is.”

Kaelith stared at her reflection quietly, almost afraid to look too long.

“I look like a lie.”

“No,” Lyra said softly. “You look like the version of yourself they were terrified people would notice.”

Silence settled over the room for a moment.

Then Lyra clapped suddenly.

“Sit.”

Kaelith obeyed automatically.

Lyra immediately went to work brushing out her tangled dark hair before pinning pieces back with delicate silver clips. A dark pigment lined Kaelith’s eyes, making the icy blue stand out sharply beneath the candlelight.

Finally, Lyra added a soft berry stain to her lips before stepping back slowly to admire her work.

“Well.”

Kaelith frowned nervously. “What?”

“If I looked like you,” Lyra replied honestly, “I would’ve ruined several noble bloodlines already.”

A real laugh escaped Kaelith before she could stop it.

The sound surprised both of them.

Lyra’s expression softened instantly.

“There she is,” she whispered gently.

Kaelith looked down quickly before tears could return to her eyes.

Lyra noticed anyway.

But this time, she didn’t push.

Instead, she opened a nearby drawer and pulled out two masks.

One black.

One silver-blue.

Kaelith carefully took the silver-blue mask from her hands. Tiny crystals shimmered along the edges like frozen stars.

“Where did you even get these?”

Lyra suddenly looked suspiciously innocent.

“We ask fewer questions when crimes are involved.”

Kaelith shook her head weakly.

“You’re insane.”

“And yet you love me.”

That much, at least, was true.

Lyra stepped closer and tied the mask securely behind Kaelith’s head before moving back in satisfaction.

The woman staring back from the mirror looked mysterious now.