The Lorien business district was nothing like the training school.
The moment Elara and Lyra stepped off the public carriage, the world seemed to change colors.
Tall buildings rose around them, not too high like the capital cities, but tall enough to make you lift your head. The fronts were made of glass and polished stone, reflecting sunlight in soft flashes. The roads were wide and clean, paved with smooth stone that shone faintly. People walked everywhere, dressed neatly, talking, laughing, carrying shopping bags.
Fashion boutiques lined the streets, their windows displaying elegant dresses and sharp suits. Jewelry stores glittered behind glass cases. Cafés released the warm smell of coffee and pastries into the air. Soft music drifted from somewhere nearby.
Banners hung across the street.
STARHUNT IS COMING.
FIND YOUR STAGE.
AURELIA'S FUTURE VOICES.
Lyra stopped walking. Her mouth slowly fell open.
"Wow…" she breathed.
She turned in a slow circle, almost bumping into a passerby. "This place is huge."
Elara stood quietly beside her, hands in her pockets, her eyes moving calmly from shop to shop.
"It's lively," Elara said. She had seen places more exquisite than this.
Lyra looked at her in disbelief. "That's all you have to say?"
Elara shrugged lightly.
Lyra stared at her for a moment, then groaned. "You're impossible."
Lorien was indeed urbanized, far more than many cities in Aurelia, but compared to the three capital cities, it still felt calmer. The luxury here was controlled, not screaming for attention. Elara noticed the details. The balance. The way things were arranged with care, not excess.
Lyra, on the other hand, was already walking toward the first boutique.
"Let's just look," she said seriously, while pushing the door open.
They entered one shop.
Then another.
Then another.
Each time, Lyra would stop in front of a display, eyes shining, fingers twitching.
"Elara," she whispered dramatically, "look at this one."
Elara glanced at the dress. It sparkled too much.
"It looks heavy," Elara said honestly.
Lyra sighed. "You always say that."
The next shop was even worse.
Sequins. Feathers. Sharp cuts. Bold colors.
Elara shook her head slowly. "I need to sing, not fight a battle."
Lyra laughed, but they walked out again.
After the fourth shop, Lyra groaned loudly.
"Why are all the dresses here screaming?" she complained. "Can't one of them speak normally?"
Elara smiled faintly. "I want something simple."
Lyra looked at her. "You want something boring."
Elara corrected calmly. "Clean."
They turned a corner and noticed a boutique that looked different from the others. The lights inside were softer. The window display was simple. No loud colors. No dramatic poses. Just a single dress, plain but elegant, placed carefully behind glass.
Elara stopped walking.
"This one," she said.
Lyra blinked squeezing her face. "This one?"
They entered anyway.
The moment Lyra stepped inside, she nearly screamed.
"This place is beautiful," Lyra whispered loudly, clapping her hands once before remembering herself.
The shop was quiet. The floor was polished wood. Dresses were arranged neatly, not crowded. Everything felt calm.
Elara relaxed without realizing it.
"I told you," Elara said softly. "Low-key."
Lyra looked around, then at Elara, then back at the dresses.
"…Fine," she said. "But I'm still allowed to dream."
Lyra immediately grabbed the brightest dress she could find and held it up against herself.
"Imagine this on stage," she said.
Elara glanced over while running her fingers over a plain fabric. "Imagine falling over while singing."
Lyra gasped. "You're cruel."
Elara only smiled.
She moved slowly through the racks, touching the fabrics carefully. She didn't rush. She felt the texture, the weight, the way the cloth moved. Her expression was focused, serious.
Lyra wandered off, already chatting happily with the shop assistant.
"Do you have a VIP section?" Lyra asked confidently, as if she belonged there.
The shop assistant, a calm young woman, smiled politely. She did not look down on Lyra. She simply nodded and led her deeper into the shop.
Elara was left alone. She picked out a dress and held it up. It looked simple and has a soft color. There's nothing flashy about it.
She nodded slightly. This is alright.
Just then, she heard footsteps behind her. She did not turn. She assumed it was just another customer.
The footsteps came nearer. A man passed by her, close enough that she could sense him. Tall. Straight posture. He is dressed simply, but there was something about his clothes that suggested quiet expense.
He spoke to the shopkeeper, who was a middle-aged woman with kind eyes. His voice was calm.
And a bit familiar.
Elara turned her head briefly out of curiosity.
Her heart skipped for a bit, for the man had also turned to stare at her.
For a brief moment, the man's expression froze.The shopkeeper was confused.
"Lioren." she calls.
The man's expression changed just a little. Surprise. Then certainty.
He recognized her.
Elara felt her heart skip. She did not expect this. She did not think she would ever meet him again.
Not like this.
Her fingers tightened around the fabric. She bowed slightly, out of habit, her expression polite but guarded.
He looked at her carefully. The girl from Crelou. The one who helped him.The one who disappeared before the ambulance arrived.
Lyra returned at the worst possible moment. She took one look at the man and her eyes widened. She inhaled sharply. Then screamed.
"Oh my— IT'S HIM."
The shop suddenly went quiet.
Lyra rushed forward, grabbing Elara's arm.
"Elara," she whispered loudly, "DO YOU KNOW WHO THIS IS?"
Elara continued examining the dress calmly, a bit annoyed. "I'm aware."
Lyra nearly fainted.
"This is LIOREN VALOIRE," she said, pointing. "The movie star!!!."
Elara nodded forcing a smile which came out stiff. "Yes."
Lyra stared at her as if she had just seen a ghost. "WHY ARE YOU SO CALM?"
Elara glanced at her. "We're in a shop."
The shopkeeper cleared her throat gently.
Lioren smiled faintly.
A moment later, a shop assistant brought out the dress Elara had chosen.
"That suits you," the shopkeeper said while Elara nodded. Then she heard the price and her fingers paused.
It was a lot. She calculated silently. There were shoes to buy. Accessories. Other needs.
She hesitated. Maybe she should go for another dress.
Lioren noticed the change in her expression. He stared at her for a moment, and then—
"I'll pay," he said casually. No show. No raised voice.
"For helping me." he added.
Elara turned to him immediately.
"No." She said firmly, but polite.
Lyra gasped pinching Elara's skirt. "ELARA."
"I don't accept gifts for favors," Elara said calmly.
Lyra leaned in and whispered fiercely, "Did you use your sense to make breakfast this morning?"
Lioren did not insist. He simply waited, not returning to chat with the shopkeeper.
That made Elara pause. In her past life, he didn't even glance at her. Then why is he like this now.
Is it because she saved him?
Thinking about that. She almost regrets it. She exhaled slowly.
"Thank you," she finally said. "I'll repay you someday."
A subtle smile crossed his face. He felt relieved.
"You may shop," he said. "Both of you."
He said nothing more after that. He simply turned back to the woman. Then he received a call, and left immediately. As he passed by Elara, he seemed to flash her a smile, or maybe it was an illusion.
Lyra had not recovered from the shock. She slowly turned to Elara. Her eyes sparkling with greed.
By the end of the day, Elara really restrained herself.
But Lyra did not. She bought a flashy dress which Elara was sure would cost five figures. And a shoe with heels as thin as needle.
They went to a restaurant after that.
They ate, laughed, and returned to school near dusk.
As they entered the dorm, they did not notice the eyes watching from afar...