❝The universe is full of stars. If it weren't for them, the galaxies wouldn't be bright and the night sky would be a lifeless veil of blue because one can rely on the moon only for so long. The universe wouldn't be itself if all those stars -althoug...
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THE CITY NEVER ceased to be alive.
The highlight of Astropolis' magic was hidden into the night. The lights of the skyscrapers and those of the buildings, the vibrant footsteps of the people on the pavements as they owned the night, and the cars speeding on the streets added an ethereal aura of vividness to the city.
Another demanding day at the academy was over and Lyla was heading home.
The relief of Tyson and Hilary's closure was unspeakable, but it was there all the same. The least she expected was for her chest to relax the moment they showed they were willing to take slow, gradual steps forward. The more surprising fact was that the others had the same reaction. A weight was removed from their shoulders. They weren't stiff and guarded, as if they were having their armor lifted in case of a tantrum.
Lyla allowed herself to disperse any remnants of thoughts about her teammates and anything academy-related. The attention of her eyes belonged to the surroundings. The air held a colder bite to it, and as she breathed out, a cloud of her warm breath was carried into the atmosphere.
Lyla looked up, watching it merge with autumn's end, something in her heart tightening. She had fooled herself while being at the academy that she was looking forward to talking to her mother, convincing her to quit the second job, but now that she was on her way, she found herself in the unpleasant position of wanting to avoid the confrontation.
Shunning away wasn't impossible. Catherine Hart didn't appreciate heated conflicts about her fatigued state after a long, close to endless, day of work, even though today was the last day of her staying at home to regain her strength. She could say nothing and save herself from the emotional draining, but Lyla wasn't going to let her trip over her own mistakes.
She dug the pair of gloves from the pocket of her white semi coat, her finger's absorbing the fabric's warmth.
It was the last day of November and the temperature had dropped drastically. On the other hand, it should've been expected. The first half of the month had rolled by with relatively high temperatures, almost as if November was aware of the academy's mission and pulled immense efforts to prevent the cold from enveloping the city and the mountains to keep the water of the waterfall warm enough for them.
The idea of it drew a smile out of her lips. Lyla carried on walking, staring at the shops' windows as she passed them by. One thing she loved about Estrella, aside from the night itself, was the concealed discoveries in the form of vintage coffee shops with delicate decorations, music corners with priceless discs, pick-ups or even guitars with uncommon designs and stores with lost items. One just had to be observant enough to recognize the treasures in front of them.
She lingered outside of Hidden Truths. It was one of the stores with items people were in search of. Hidden Truths held a soft spot in her heart, along with the Dream Lantern and Bliss. It was the first, and probably the only well-maintained shop of lost items in Estrella, where the owner cared to transform the place with decent décor.
