Chapter 19

Lyra awoke, disoriented and trembling, alone in the clearing. The air was thick with an eerie silence, and a chill coursed through her veins. The darkness had receded, but the absence of her friends weighed heavily on her heart.

As she stood up, the world felt different—darker, emptier. The echoes of her friends' voices lingered in her mind, but their forms were gone, consumed by the shadows they had fought against.

She took a tentative step forward, and the ground beneath her felt cold and unwelcoming. The weight of despair pressed down on her as memories flooded back—laughter, camaraderie, and the warmth of friendship now replaced by an unbearable silence.

With every step, she could hear faint bells ringing in the distance, sending waves of panic through her. The sound was haunting, a reminder of the chaos and loss she had endured. The trauma of that final confrontation lingered like a shadow, a constant reminder of what she had lost.

"Never turn your back on the abyss…" Kara's voice echoed in her mind, a haunting reminder of the promise she had made.

Lyra stumbled backward, overwhelmed by grief. "I'm sorry…" she whispered into the emptiness, her heart aching with regret. The darkness might have been vanquished, but the cost was her friends—their laughter, their warmth, all gone.

As the bells tolled again, a wave of panic washed over her. She ran through the clearing, desperately seeking an escape from the haunting memories that threatened to consume her. But no matter how fast she ran, she couldn't outrun the trauma of that day.

"Never turn your back on the abyss…" The words echoed in her mind, and she clutched her head, trying to silence the memories. But the darkness was a part of her now—a scar she could never escape.

Lyra fell to her knees, tears streaming down her face as she let the grief wash over her. She was alone, and the weight of the loss was a burden she would carry forever.

As the sun began to set, casting long shadows across the clearing, Lyra knew she had to keep moving forward. The darkness might have taken her friends, but their memory would remain with her. And with each bell that rang, she would remember the fight, the love, and the promise she had made.

"Never turn your back on the abyss," she whispered, wiping away her tears. "I will carry you with me, always."

And with that, Lyra stood up, ready to face the world alone but forever haunted by the shadows of her past.