chapter 3:The Red Sky

Lyra woke up to the sound of wailing and lamenting outside her window. She looked at the dawn candle, it's still burning bright. She wondered where the noise could be coming from and closed her eyes again.

She was already falling asleep when she heard the noises again, this time, it has become louder and unbearable.

She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and rushed outside the cottage, only to see a dark red sky. " I must be dreaming" she rubbed her eyes again, but she opened her eyes to the same dark red sky, and the lamenting voices of the people from afar.

To satisfy her curiosity, she followed the sound to the gathering of an enormous crowd in the village square." Why are they all not sleeping?.."the thought. She couldn't make a guess at all.

As she pushed through the crowd, Lyra saw the villagers pointing and crying, their faces contorted in shock and grief. She followed their gaze to a spot in the middle of the crowd where a magnificent bird lay lifeless on the ground. Its feathers, once a radiant shade of red, now dulled and still. This time around, it's the real morning bird.

The Morning Bird, the symbol of Brindlemark's magic and prosperity, was dead.

"What happened?" lyra asked, asking no one in particular, her eyes widened in shock.

"The pudding man, ask the pudding man, he saw the bird fall.. while .. while preparing the ingredients for his pudding cake"

Long toes said with a shaking voice.

Lyra's eyes were filled with sadness as she looked down at the lifeless body of the morning bird. She knew that something was going to happen.

"Oh morning bird!! Why have you left us without a warning?" " Why have you left us in this dusk?"The villagers kept lamenting, But the morning bird would not wake up and the red sky would not disappear. The villagers' words struck a chord within lyra, but she could not do anything.

She felt a wave of despair wash over her and she stumbled forward, her mind trembling with the fear of seeing the red sky everyday instead of the sun.

More villagers pooped out from all angles around the cottages, all of them wearing a face filled with confusion, sadness and disbelief.

Lyra looked for the pudding man and she saw him sitting on the floor with disappointment and confusion written all over his face. He shaked his magic wand, and he seemed as if he was trying to perform magic.

Lyra wanted to ask him about the details of how he had seen the morning bird when he suddenly gave out a loud shout.

"My powers are gone!!" He cried out with shock and tried to do it over and over again,but all to no avail. The villagers gathered around him trying to use their own powers also but it's all the same.

Their powers are all gone!

"I can't teleport!"

"I can't control the wind!"

"How shall I sell my invisible paint?"

" How shall I use my wishing bell?"

Panic set in as the villagers realized that their supernatural powers were gone. They tried to conjure fire, to heal wounds, to communicate with animals – but nothing worked.

Arra caught her arm." Lyra, what's

happening, why has our magic disappeared? Now I wouldn't be able to eavesdrop on the witch that lives besides my cottage, I would not be able to Fetch water so fast from the golden lake…I will have to always walk around!" She cried, walking away without waiting for a reply.

Lyra does not have any extraordinary power but she felt so sad for her people. Her mother gets money by making snacks with magic wands in the market. How painful to think about the fact that she'll even have to trek to the market everyday.

The people's sadness grew ernomoursly

As they realized that they literally can't live without the morning bird.

What a great misfortune! The whole brindlemark is thrown into mourning.

Fear gripped them as they thought of how their lives would be without the little little magic they possessed, without the sunshine that brightens their face.What will they do? How are they going to restore their powers?

Lyra, desperate for answers, rushed to the wise gnome's house on the outskirts of the village. When she arrived, what a surprising sight she met! The wise gnome's cottage had turned to an ordinary one. The wall was no longer green, there was no green field anymore. He met the wise gnome sitting on the small rock beside his cottage, his eyes vacant and his hands limp.

"Gnome?" Lyra called out, shaking him gently. "What's happening? Why has our magic disappeared?"

The gnome slowly turned to her, his eyes clouded with confusion. "I...I don't know, child," he stammered. "My powers are gone, too. I'm just a...a ordinary gnome now."

Lyra felt a wave of despair wash over her. Without the gnome's wisdom and guidance, she had no idea how to restore their magic.

As she stood there, feeling hopeless, several thoughts ran across her mind.

"What happened to the morning bird?.. could it"..

"Lyra"

she was jotted out of her thoughts by a faint voice. She turned to see xenos, a young guy she had met days ago while coming back from the golden lake.

"Lyra, I remember something," he said, panting for air.

"There's..a.. a wise man …who lives on the ..oth..other side of..of the forest. He doesn't …he doesn't use ancient power like we do. Maybe…maybe..he can help us."

Lyra's heart skipped a beat. Could this wise man really hold the key to restoring their magic? She turned to the villager, determination burning within her.

"Let's go," she said. "We have nothing to lose."

Xenos nodded, and together they set off towards the forest. As they walked, Lyra couldn't help but wonder what had caused the Morning Bird's death, and who the wise man could be, and what this wise man could possibly do to help them.

As they entered the forest, the trees seemed to close in around them, casting long, ominous shadows on the ground. As they proceed,Lyra felt a shiver run down her spine.

Suddenly, a twig snapped behind them. Lyra spun around, her heart racing. "What …what..was th..that?" she whispered.

Xenos shook his head. "I don't know, but I think we're being followed."

Lyra's senses went on high alert as they quickened their pace. The forest seemed to grow darker, the shadows deepening into menacing pools.

As they walked, the silence was broken by the sound of rustling leaves and snapping twigs. It was as if something was stalking them, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

Lyra's heart pounded in her chest as she glanced over her shoulder. She thought she saw a shadowy figure darting between the trees, but it vanished before she could get a good look.

Xenos grabbed her arm, his eyes wide with fear. "Lyra,..I.. I think..we .. we should get out of here... Now."

But Lyra stood firm, her determination burning brighter than ever. "We can't give up now," she said. "We have to find that wise man."

With newfound resolve, Lyra and the xenos pressed on, their senses on high alert as they navigated the treacherous forest.

As they walked, the trees seemed to grow taller, the shadows deepening into an impenetrable darkness. Lyra stumbled, her foot catching on a hidden root.

Xenos caught her arm, pulling her upright. "Lyra, look out!" he cried, his voice barely above a whisper.

Lyra followed his gaze to a massive, ancient tree looming before them. Its branches seemed to reach out like skeletal fingers, as if waiting to snatch them from the forest floor.

And then, just as suddenly as it had begun, the forest fell silent. The rustling leaves, the snapping twigs – everything stopped.

They both stood frozen and quiet that only the sound of their hearts pounding in their chests could be heard. They knew they were being watched, but by what, and why?they had no idea.

As they stood there, lyra seemed to have lost hope when something caught their eyes. A faint light appeared in the distance! Lyra's heart skipped a beat, she realized that they were approaching the wise man's dwelling.

With newfound hope, Lyra and xenos quickened their pace, their footsteps quiet on the forest floor.

As they emerged from the trees, they saw a small cottage nestled in a clearing. Smoke drifted lazily from the chimney and a warm light spilled from the windows.

She heaved a sigh of relief. " Have you seen the man before?" Lyra asked.

" Yes…I've seen him once, when I was very little," xenos answered truthfully.

Lyra felt a sense of peace wash over her.

They both paused and looked at the cottage with their eyes, filled with hope.

Maybe, just maybe, they would find the answers they're looking for.