Lyriel groaned as she boarded the bus, already feeling frustrated with the day. She was going to be late for school, and she hated being late. But as the bus inched along, she realized that it wasn't just traffic jams that were slowing them down. There had been an accident on the road, and the police were diverting traffic.
Lyriel's heart sank. She knew that this road was the only way to get to school, and she was going to be late. She got off the bus and approached one of the policemen standing on the road. "Excuse me, officer," she said. "Is there any way I can just walk through? I really need to get to school."
The policeman shook his head. "Sorry, miss. It's not safe. You can't walk through here."
Lyriel sighed and turned to walk away. She spotted a taxi on the other side of the road and tried to hail it, but it was too far away. As she was trying to get the taxi's attention, she heard a familiar voice behind her.
"Lyriel, what are you doing here?"
She turned to see Ryder, her cousin's boyfriend, standing behind her. She rolled her eyes. "Just trying to get to school, obviously."
Ryder smiled, his eyes lingering on her in a way that made her uncomfortable. "Well, I can give you a ride," he said. "But I think we can take a detour. There's another road that'll get us to school."
Lyriel raised an eyebrow. "Why would I want to ride with you?"
Ryder chuckled. "Come on, Lyriel. I'm not that bad. Besides, I promise I'll be on my best behavior."
Lyriel wasn't convinced, and when Ryder made it clear he had ulterior motives, she was furious. "Ryder, stop it. I'm your girlfriend's cousin. Show some respect," she said, her voice firm.
Ryder laughed, but Lyriel wasn't having it.
Lyriel's eyes narrowed as Ryder made his move, his eyes lingering on her in a way that made her skin crawl. "You're really something else, Ryder," she said, her voice dripping with disdain. "You're dating my cousin, and yet you can't stop hitting on me. What's wrong with you?"
Ryder's face reddened, but Lyriel didn't care. She turned on her heel and walked away, leaving him standing alone on the road. She hailed a taxi and gave the driver the address of a bar she knew was nearby.
As she sat in the bar, nursing a drink, Lyriel couldn't help but think that this was not how she had planned her day. She was supposed to be in school, not sipping cocktails in a bar. But after the morning she'd had, she figured she might as well make the most of it.
The bartender raised an eyebrow as she ordered another drink. "You're a bit young for this, aren't you?" he asked.
Lyriel smiled sweetly. "I'm old enough," she said, and the bartender chuckled and handed her the drink.
As she sipped her drink, Lyriel felt a sense of freedom wash over her. She was skipping school, and she was going to enjoy it. Who knows, maybe this would be the start of a whole new chapter in her life.
Lyriel sipped her drink, lost in thought as she gazed out the window. The bar was quiet, with only a few patrons scattered about. She was enjoying the peacefulness of the atmosphere when she noticed a figure sitting down next to her.
The person was dressed in dark clothing, and their face was partially obscured by a hoodie. Lyriel couldn't help but notice the air of mystery surrounding them. She tried to ignore them and focus on her drink, but her curiosity got the better of her.
As she glanced over, she caught snippets of the person's conversation with the bartender. They were speaking in hushed tones, but Lyriel's ears perked up when she heard them mention something about "taking care of a problem." The words sent a shiver down her spine, and she wondered what kind of person would say something like that.
Despite her reservations, Lyriel found herself drawn to the mysterious person. There was something about them that seemed...intriguing. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but she felt a sense of excitement wash over her as she turned to face them.
The person's eyes locked onto hers, and Lyriel felt a jolt of electricity run through her body. For a moment, they just stared at each other, the tension between them palpable. Then, the person smiled, and Lyriel's heart skipped a beat.
"Mind if I join you?" they asked, their voice low and smooth.
Lyriel hesitated for a moment before shaking her head. "Not at all," she said, trying to sound casual.
The person sat back in their chair, their eyes never leaving Lyriel's face. "I'm Kael," they said, their voice dripping with confidence.
Lyriel's instincts were screaming at her to be cautious, but she couldn't help feeling drawn to Kael. She smiled, trying to play it cool. "I'm Lyriel," she said, extending her hand.
As Kael took her hand, Lyriel felt a spark of electricity run through her body. She knew she should be careful around this person, but she couldn't help feeling a sense of excitement at the unknown.
Lyriel sipped her drink, trying to appear nonchalant as she listened to Kael's conversation with a man who had approached their table. They spoke in hushed tones, but Lyriel's ears perked up as she caught snippets of their discussion.
"...need to take care of it tonight," Kael said, his voice low and serious.
The other man nodded, his eyes darting around the bar nervously. "I'll take care of it," he said. "But what about the repercussions?"
Kael's expression was unreadable. "We'll deal with them," he said. "We always do."
Lyriel's heart skipped a beat as she listened to the conversation. What were they talking about? And what kind of repercussions were they expecting?
As she listened, Lyriel felt a shiver run down her spine. There was something about Kael's conversation that sent a warning signal to her brain. This was not a conversation she wanted to be a part of.
But despite her reservations, Lyriel found herself drawn to Kael's mysterious nature. She couldn't help but wonder what he was involved in, and what kind of danger he might be facing.
As the man left, Kael turned to Lyriel, his eyes locking onto hers. For a moment, they just stared at each other, the tension between them palpable.
"Everything okay?" Lyriel asked, trying to sound casual.
Kael smiled, his expression neutral. "Yeah, everything's fine," he said. "Just business."
Lyriel nodded, but she couldn't shake off the feeling that Kael's business was not something she wanted to be involved in.