Arena

Waking up an hour earlier than usual, Lyra got up and started her routine as soon as she finishes brushing and washing her face. This time she did her morning routine in her room afraid that she might disturb Nina since Nina's room is beside the kitchen. After finishing her morning routine Lyra quickly takes a shower and heads towards the kitchen. She eagerly awaits in the kitchen for Nina. While she's waiting she starts to prep the ingredients needed for today's meals.

As soon as Nina enters the kitchen she sees Lyra diligently cleaning, washing, and cutting. Nina chuckles. "You seem to be having fun Lyra dearie~" she teases.

"Good morning Nina!" Lyra momentarily stops what she's doing to look at Nina and gives her a wide smile.

"Good morning to you too, dearie~" Nina is about to smile back but then she remembers the news about Lyra's uncle. She couldn't help but stiffly smile back.

"Is something wrong, Nina?" Lyra asks as she notices Nina's unusual smile.

"Oh, nothing dearie~ just felt minor pain in my knee. Hee! hee! it really sucks being old."

"Is that so. Please let me know whenever you need my help!" Lyra looks at Nina full of concern.

"Don't worry, it's just a minor pain nothing this tough old lady can't handle!" Nina grins.

"Still, make sure to let me know if you need my assistance, Nina. I'll do my best to help!" Lyra insists full of determination in her voice.

"Lyra, do you know I should be the one saying that to you? Your making this old lady lose face!" Nina smiles dotingly. Nina pats Lyra's head. "well, I'm sure I can help you finding a good arena so you could grow stronger as you wish!" Nina confidently pats her chest. Lyra lets out a laugh.

"I know. I trust Nina."

"Oh gosh, this little girl really knows how to sweet talk this old lady!" And so Nina and Lyra work together for the rest of the morning.

As soon as noon approaches Nina asks permission from Madam to take Lyra to the arena she's acquainted with. Madam agrees and asks Nina to bring Lyra to her office as soon as they finish registering Lyra for the arena battles. Madam also reminds Nina to refrain from mentioning the fact that Lyra is Fum's niece. Nina promises.

"Are you ready, Lyra? You're not that excited that you forgot to eat right?" Nina pokes Lyra's adorable cheeks.

"Of course I ate my lunch. Just that I wasn't really hungry that I ate less than usual." Lyra protests while trying to avoid looking at Nina's eyes directly.

"If you say so dearie~," Nina says then burst out laughing. Lyra just presses her lips together making her cheeks a little bit puffy. Nina couldn't help but poke Lyra's cheek again.

"We should really be going now, Nina." Lyra states annoyed.

"Okay. Well, the arena that I'm well acquainted with is close, so walking there would be fine."

"Alright." Lyra follows Nina out the front gate.

After walking for about twenty minutes they arrive in front of what looks like a junkyard. Lyra follows Nina full of trust even though they went deeper into the junkyard. The putrid smell of mixed substances are intense and could easily make a normal person faint. And yet, Lyra and Nina can be seen walking normally without giving out any signs of repulsiveness towards their surroundings nor to the putrid smells.

At last Nina and Lyra reaches the deepest part of the junkyard where a large old but clean telephone booth stands out like a sore thumb. Nina beckons Lyra to follow her. Nina and Lyra enter.

As soon as they enter loud cheers from numerous people and an innovative high-end colosseum with multiple stages and booths greets them. Nina heads towards the nearest booth. Lyra follows Nina without dwindling but she can't help but look back at the floating screens displaying different stages with intense fights going on in each of them.

"Oh what a surprise, Old Nina shows her wrinkled face today!" A young man with a beaming smile greets Nina as soon as she enters the booth.

"Shut it, Herold, this wrinkled face old lady can still whip that sissy ass of yours!" Nina glares at the young man. the young man only laughs.

"As much as I want to deny that statement, I can't. So, have mercy on me oh great magnanimous Nina!" Herold jokingly replies.

"Pah, whatever! I'm not here to teach you a lesson anyway. I'm here to register Lyra, my dearie, ~"

Herold hearing what Nina just said obviously shows himself shivering.

"Nina calling someone dearie, it must be that 'finally' this country is peaceful." Herold mockingly states.

"Oh shush! I don't have a lot of time to waste on you. Hurry up and register Lyra so we could leave this putrid place." Nina retorts.

"How rude, calling this place putrid when you are well aware that this place is the most technologically advance arena in this country!"

"So what? It can't even nurture someone to be as good as the elite of the Solaire family."

"Ugh, arguing with you Nina is really...' sigh' well enough with our flirting, So this is Lyra, your 'dearie?'" Herold looks at Lyra whose been standing straight from the very beginning with a good posture. "She seems to okay. Well, let's see now. You want me to register her to fight grade F fighters?"

"Nope let her fight at least D fighters. She can handle it."

"Hmm, really? But from what I can see she doesn't have any experience at all. So letting her fight the lowest rank fighter should be the right thing. I'm sure you don't want her to be crippled." Herold seriously advises Nina.

"I'm telling you Lyra can handle D fighters. She's the type to get stronger when fighting stronger opponents. My instincts are rarely wrong you know."

"Ah, if your instincts tell you, then how I can possibly go against it since that instinct of yours are almost godly that it saved this life of mine so many damn times." Herold grins.

"Hmph. Now stop chattering and start working. We still have to go home before it gets dark you know?" Nina states without noticing Lyra's unusual stiffness as soon as she heard 'home'.

"Okay, okay for the great Nina I Herold shall personally see to it that Lyra is registered and would start her fight tomorrow evening, is that alright with you Lyra." Herold suddenly turns his attention to Lyra noticing her bright gaze.

"Yes, Sir. I trust Nina's decision." hearing that Nina smiles and pats Lyra's head. Herold chuckles as he hears Lyra's response.

"Is that so. Well, give me ten minutes. I'm sure to bring your fight schedule for tomorrow, Lyra." Herold gets the tablet laying on the counter and rapidly taps. Nina takes a seat and pats the sit beside her. Lyra sits down too. After exactly ten minutes Herold looks up.

"Done. I'm able to register Lyra and schedule her first fight tomorrow at 8 pm. Make sure to be here half an hour before the fight since I still have to give Lyra her account bracelet."

"Got it. We'll be back tomorrow." Nina and Lyra stands up and heads for the exit when Herold mischievously shouts,

"Make sure to be here tomorrow! Especially you wrinkled old woman!" Nina didn't even turn back to look but casually exits the colosseum with Lyra.

They're finally back in Madam Cherry's house. Nina tells Lyra that Madam wants to talk to her in the office after their trip from the arena. Nina leads Lyra to Madam's office. Lyra knocks.

"Come in." Madam sharply calls.

"Pardon me," Lyra replies as she enters the office. Nina decides to stay and wait for Lyra since she knows what Madam will talk to her about.

"Take a seat."

"Yes, Madam."

"First, I apologize for what the twins have done. They are now paying for it dearly." Madam states sincerely then she pauses for a few seconds, "Second of all, let me tell you that the letter that the twins burn is not entirely your uncle's letter."

"Excuse Madam, but what do you 'not entirely' my uncle's letter?" Lyra interjects. She grips the end of her shirt tightly with her slightly trembling hands.

"It means that the letter isn't entirely written by your uncle. Since your Uncle is dead before he could even send his letter."

"Uncle is dead?"Lyra with a hoarse voice asks.

"Yes. He is." Madam too replies with a voice tinged with deep sadness.

"How?" with tears threatening to fall down and trembling voice Lyra asks.

"He died from trying to save a young boy from a battlefield. The battle already extended to where he was staying and so, he couldn't help but be involved. The irony was that he was actually trying to run away from the battlefield to deliver his letter. He was even recovering from his sickness."

Madam pauses as she notices Lyra silently crying while tightly pressing her lips and trembling.

"I'm sorry, Lyra that's all I can tell you about the letter from your uncle since the rest was address to you so I left the contents for you to read. It was my mistake entrusting the twins to deliver the letter to you. I'm sorry." Madam stands up from her chair and stands in front of Lyra and kneels down to look at Lyra in the eyes and says "I'm really sorry to be half of my disciples."

Lyra shakes her head and with great effort asks, "Can I be excused now, Madam?"

"Of course."

Lyra immediately stands up and rushes out of the office and runs towards her room. As soon as she reaches her room, she locks her door. Shakily, she heads to her bed. When she reaches her bed, flops down and lets her heart-wrenching sobs out. She is crying so hard that you can see her whole body trembling and her tiny hands grasping for her knife under her pillow. She cried herself to sleep once again.

*Sobs, sobs* "Mom, Dad, Uncle... Why won't you take me with you?..." Lyra whispers.