Selene's POV
The evening sun was a molten gold coin sinking into the sea as Selene and Eliza wandered down the beachfront boardwalk. The air was warm, thick with the scent of salt and frying food, and Eliza's laughter was a bright, constant counterpoint to the churning silence in Selene's mind. She was trying, truly trying, to lose herself in the easy rhythm of their friendship, to be present in the simple joy Eliza offered so freely.
But her thoughts were a rogue tide, pulling relentlessly back to Lyra. To the devastating confession, the terrifying glimpse of an ancient truth, and the frustrating, familiar wall that had slammed down between them immediately after. The whiplash was leaving her dizzy.
They passed a stylish restaurant built right on the sand, its large windows open to the evening breeze. Warm light spilled onto the patio, illuminating laughing couples and groups of friends. Selene's gaze swept absently across the scene.
And then it stopped.
Her breath hitched, solid in her throat.
There, at a prime table by the window, was Lyra.
But she wasn't hunched over a book or lost in thought. She was animated, a soft, unguarded smile on her face that Selene had only seen a handful of times. And she wasn't alone.
Ariana was there, the woman from the beach, the one from the hotel story. But tonight, she wasn't alone either. Two other women were with them, all four leaning in close, their conversation intense and intimate. They were a unit, a closed circle of shared history and easy familiarity that was palpable even from a distance.
Then Selene saw it. Ariana said something that made Lyra laugh, a real, head-thrown-back laugh, and as she did, Ariana's hand came to rest on Lyra's lower back. It wasn't a dramatic gesture. It was small, casual, and utterly possessive. A touch of profound comfort and knowing. The kind of touch that spoke of years, maybe centuries, of shared history.
Are they really just friends Lyra and Ariana? The thought was a cold splash of water. They look like they know each other down to their souls.
A wave of jealousy, hot and acrid, washed over her. It was followed by a crushing sense of inadequacy. This was Lyra's world. These were her people. Not a lonely librarian, but a woman surrounded by others who clearly knew her truth, who shared her secret. And Selene was on the outside, a temporary distraction Lyra felt she needed to protect from herself.
Eliza, noticing Selene's sudden rigidity, followed her gaze. A low, knowing sound escaped her lips. "Well, well. Look who's here. Isn't that your mysterious librarian and her... friend?" The word was laden with implication. "The one that bought me hotel? Quite the cozy group. Is it just a coincidence they're everywhere we are?"
Selene felt her face grow hot. A cold numbness was creeping into her fingers. She had seen Lyra with others before, but this was different. This wasn't Lyra being polite or professional. This was Lyra in her element, relaxed and open in a way she never was with Selene. The intimacy of it was a physical blow.
Eliza studied Selene's pale face, her teasing fading into genuine concern. "Hey. Are you okay?"
Selene forced a breath, her voice coming out thin and reedy. "Yeah. I'm fine." The lie was transparent.
Eliza didn't push. Instead, she gently took Selene's arm. "Come on. Let's get some food. I'm starving." She guided Selene away from the view, toward a noisy seafood shack further down the beach.
Selene let herself be led, but her mind was trapped in that restaurant window. Lyra's easy smile. Ariana's familiar touch. It replayed over and over, each loop twisting the knife of jealousy deeper. She had been fooling herself. Whatever connection she thought they had was a pale, shallow thing compared to the deep bonds Lyra clearly shared with others.
They found a plastic table at the shack, the smell of fried fish heavy in the air. Eliza chatted about the menu, but Selene couldn't focus. Her eyes kept drifting back toward the soft glow of the restaurant.
Eliza finally put her menu down with a sigh. "You can't keep doing this to yourself, Selene. You're chasing a ghost. She's made her circle. She's made her choices. You're just hurting yourself by staring."
Selene flinched. The words were harsh, but they rang with a truth she couldn't deny. "I don't know what to do," she confessed, her voice barely a whisper over the crash of the waves. "I don't know if I'm supposed to fight for it or just let it go."
Eliza's expression was sympathetic but firm. "You can't fight your way into a fortress if the drawbridge is up and the queen isn't home. It's not fair to you. You deserve someone who wants you in their world, not someone who hides theirs from you."
Selene stared at the graffiti carved into the plastic table. You deserve someone. The words echoed, but they felt hollow. Because she didn't want just someone. She wanted the complicated, mysterious, heartbreaking woman who was currently laughing with her immortal friends.
"I know," Selene whispered, the admission tasting like defeat. "But it's not that easy."
As the silence stretched, filled by the distant roar of the ocean and the chatter around them, Selene felt a profound sense of loss. She was losing something she'd never really had.
Then, her phone buzzed on the table. Not with Lyra's name, or Eliza's. It was from an unknown number.
The message was simple, its meaning anything but.
Unknown: "Meet me at the library tonight. I have something to tell you about Lyra."
Selene's heart slammed against her ribs. Her head snapped up, her eyes wide. It was a risk. It could be a trick, a trap. But the mention of Lyra's name was a hook in her soul.
She looked from the message to the distant lights of the restaurant, then to Eliza's concerned face. The easy distraction was over. The cryptic message was a line thrown into the dark water of Lyra's secrets, and despite the hurt, despite the jealousy, Selene knew she had to pull on it. She had to know.