The decision was made. As Agnes, with a knowing smile, cleared away the remains of breakfast and hummed an old tune, Lysandra felt a lightness she hadn't experienced in a long time. The prospect of exploring Cancún with Ruby, of unraveling the enigma that was this woman, was unexpectedly stimulating.
"Well, if we're going to be tourists, I guess we should look a little less like we've just solved the mysteries of the universe or landed from a transoceanic flight," Lysandra said with a rare spark of humor, addressing both Ruby and herself. "I'll take a quick shower and change. I won't be long."
Ruby, who had been watching Lysandra with her characteristic calm, smiled. "Excellent idea. I'll do the same. Despite the trip, I feel surprisingly energetic." And it was true. Lysandra couldn't help but notice the vitality emanating from Ruby, an energy that seemed endless, as if fueled by an internal, inexhaustible source, very different from the fatigue Lysandra herself often felt after her forays into the echoes of the past.
As the two women headed to their respective rooms, Fernando, who had been checking some messages on his phone, looked up. "Perfect, girls. Enjoy the city. I, unfortunately, have to defect. I just confirmed a meeting with some potential partners for the Transpeninsular Train project. It promises to be long, so don't wait up for me if it gets late." He winked at them. "Behave yourselves, okay?"
About forty minutes later, Lysandra descended back into the lobby. She had taken a quick shower, the cool water washing away the last vestiges of her sleepless night. She had chosen a simple yet impeccably cut white linen summer dress that highlighted the pale tone of her skin and the dark mystery of her violet eyes. Minimalist leather sandals and her usual bag completed her outfit. She felt refreshed, renewed, and filled with a strange sense of anticipation.
She waited only a couple of minutes before Ruby appeared at the top of the stairs. Her breath caught in her throat.
If Ruby had seemed alluring before, now she was simply spectacular. She wore an emerald silk dress that seemed to float around her with every movement, its shimmering fabric catching the light and accentuating the incredible grace of her figure. The cut was bold yet elegant, with a subtle neckline that hinted at more than it revealed, and a skirt that fell in soft waves to her ankles, revealing thin-strapped golden sandals. Her light brown hair fell loose, in natural waves that looked like they'd been kissed by the sun, and subtle makeup highlighted the perfection of her features: her full lips painted a soft coral shade, her high cheekbones slightly rosy, and those green eyes, now unhindered by her glasses, shining with an almost feline intensity. She gave off an aura of exotic confidence, a beauty as natural as it was overwhelming.
Lysandra, rarely impressed by physical appearance, found herself momentarily speechless.
And then she saw Ruby's expression. When she reached the bottom of the stairs and saw Lysandra waiting for her, Ruby's green eyes widened slightly, and a look of genuine surprise, followed by something Lysandra couldn't quite place—admiration? A sudden realization?—crossed her face.
"Wow..." Ruby thought, pausing for a moment, the air seeming to charge with a new electricity. Lysandra, in the light that streamed through the foyer's large windows, looked different. The white dress, in its deceptive simplicity, accentuated the innate elegance of her slender figure, the almost luminous pallor of her skin. But it was her eyes, those incredible violet eyes, that captured her. Today they seemed less veiled by melancholy or academic concentration, and shone with a new light, a mixture of joy at her brother's return and an expectant curiosity. There was a fragility about her that was strangely appealing, a depth that went far beyond conventional beauty.
"I always knew she was beautiful," Ruby's internal dialogue continued, as a slow, genuine smile began to form on her lips. "But this... there's something about her today. A kind of... resonance. Like a piece of ancient music that you suddenly understand on a whole new level." She felt an unexpected tug in her chest, a warmth that spread quickly, taking her by surprise. It wasn't just aesthetic admiration. It was something deeper, a fascination that went beyond simple curiosity about "Fernando's sister." It was the way Lysandra moved, that restrained grace that hinted at immense inner strength. The way her eyes seemed to see beyond the surface, as if they could
Read the secret histories of the world.
"What is this?" Ruby wondered, a hint of confusion mingling with the pleasant surprise. "Am I... falling in love with Lysandra? No, it's absurd. I've only just met her. It must be the atmosphere of this house, the touching reunions... a mere momentary emotional slip. Yes, that must be it." But even as she tried to rationalize it, the feeling persisted, a vibrant, sweet note in the symphony of her perceptions. Lysandra Thorne was an enigma, a mystery far more captivating than any ancient city she could explore.
"You are... radiant, Lysandra," Ruby said finally, her voice lilting with a new tinge of warmth that didn't go unnoticed by the woman in question. "That color looks wonderful on you."
Lysandra felt a faint blush rise to her cheeks at the straightforward compliment and the intensity of Ruby's gaze. "Thank you, Ruby. You too... look spectacular. That dress is incredible."
They stood for a moment like that, facing each other, a current of mutual admiration and a subtle, unfamiliar tension floating between them. The air smelled of the flowers in the garden, the afternoon sun, and, perhaps, the beginning of something completely unexpected.
"So," Ruby said, breaking the moment with a smile that now seemed wider, more genuine. "Ready to show me the hidden wonders of Cancún, my personal guide?"
Lysandra nodded, her anticipation for the day ahead now tinged with a new and vibrant curiosity, not only for the city, but for the woman who would walk beside her. The day promised to be, without a doubt, much more than a simple sightseeing tour.