The moment the bracelet vanished from her wrist, the study sank into a heavy silence.
Gerald, Kross, and Lyra herself stood frozen, their expressions distant, as if the magic had drawn them into a trance. The air was still, charged with an energy that clung to every corner of the room.
Lyra slowly raised her head, her face etched with questions she couldn't form into words. Her eyes moved to Kross first. His face was calm, unreadable, betraying almost nothing of what he felt or saw. But when her gaze locked on Gerald, his reaction shattered the silence.
He gasped, the sound sharp and unrestrained.
Lyra's brows furrowed in confusion.
She thought his shock was because the Verdelune had disappeared into her wrist. She didn't yet realize the truth. Her emerald eyes were glowing, soft, radiant, alive with a strange, unearthly light.
