Chapter 22 - Astral Transfer
Lyra stopped before the door.
The unsettling feeling from earlier hadn't disappeared.
If anything, it had grown stronger.
The dark wooden door stood silently before her.
Waiting.
For several seconds, she simply stared at it.
Then she noticed she wasn't alone.
Students had gathered nearby.
Lucian.
Rivan.
Kaelan.
Seren.
Several others from their year.
Apparently everyone had become curious about what exactly Erix intended to teach.
From farther down the hallway—
"Wait!"
Amy.
The chestnut-haired girl was practically sprinting toward them.
Lyra blinked.
Amy finally reached the group and immediately bent forward.
"Huff... Huff..."
She pointed accusingly at Lyra.
"You walk too fast."
"I wasn't walking fast."
"You absolutely were."
"I wasn't."
Amy narrowed her eyes.
"You're impossible to argue with."
Before Lyra could respond, the door opened.
Erix stood inside.
His grey eyes swept across the gathered students.
Silence instantly fell.
"You may enter."
Only Lyra.
The others looked disappointed.
Amy looked personally offended.
"Favoritism."
"Exactly," Rivan agreed instantly.
Amy sighed dramatically.
Lyra ignored them and stepped inside.
The door closed behind her.
Silence.
The room was larger than she expected.
No weapons.
No training equipment.
Only a circular formation inscribed across the floor.
Erix stood near the center.
"Sit."
Lyra hesitated.
Then complied.
Erix sat opposite her.
For several moments neither spoke.
Finally—
"What exactly are we doing?"
"Astral transfer."
Lyra frowned.
"I know the name."
"Then you know the purpose."
"Not really."
Erix regarded her silently.
"Astral transfer allows one individual to guide another through astral pathways."
That sounded suspicious.
Lyra immediately disliked it.
"No."
Erix blinked.
"No?"
"No."
A pause.
Then— "Why?"
"Because it sounds dangerous."
"It is not."
"It definitely is."
Erix stared at her.
Lyra stared back.
Several seconds passed.
Then Erix sighed.
It was such a rare sight that Lyra almost forgot her argument.
"You are my student."
That didn't sound good in her ears.
"This training is necessary."
Lyra didn't like that sentence too.
But—
He was right.
After several moments she reluctantly nodded.
"Fine."
Erix extended his hand.
"Place your hand here."
Lyra hesitated.
Then slowly placed her hand atop his.
Warm.
That was the first thing she noticed.
Not hot.
Not cold.
Warm.
A gentle current flowed beneath her skin.
Like sunlight.
Like standing near a fire on a winter evening.
Her eyes widened slightly.
Astral flow.
Erix closed his eyes.
"Do not resist."
The warmth increased.
Lyra felt it moving through invisible pathways.
Steady.
Controlled.
Guiding.
Instinctively she allowed her own astral flow to respond.
The two currents met.
For a moment—
Everything felt strangely peaceful.
Erix immediately noticed it.
Her astral flow.
Different.
He had expected resistance.
Instability.
Confusion.
Instead—
Warmth.
A warmth unlike anything he had encountered before.
It wasn't overwhelming.
Wasn't powerful.
Yet somehow—
Familiar.
His brows furrowed slightly.
Strange.
The moment their astral currents connected, he felt something resonate.
A distant echo.
As though her astral flow recognized his.
As though they had crossed paths before.
Impossible.
He focused harder.
Guiding the synchronization deeper.
Carefully.
Slowly.
Then—
Something changed.
The warmth vanished.
Violence replaced it.
Lyra's breath caught.
The room disappeared.
Red.
Everything became red.
Flames.
Endless flames.
Heat.
Smoke.
Screams.
A dragon's roar shattered the sky.
Pain exploded through her chest.
Not physical pain.
Something worse.
Loss.
Grief.
Despair.
A figure appeared.
Blurred.
Unclear.
Someone running toward her.
Someone familiar.
Someone important.
Someone she trusted.
Blood stained their hands.
Their mouth moved.
Calling her name.
She couldn't hear it.
Couldn't understand it.
The flames swallowed everything.
Another scream.
A dragon's scream.
Agony.
The bond screamed.
Something precious was dying.
Something she couldn't save.
"No..."
The word escaped her lips before she realized it.
The memories continued.
Broken fragments.
A ruined battlefield.
A collapsing tower.
Ash falling from the sky.
That familiar figure reaching toward her.
Then—
Darkness.
Erix's eyes snapped open.
Something was wrong.
Very wrong.
Lyra's astral flow had become chaotic.
Violent.
Unstable.
Her breathing was uneven.
Her entire body trembled.
Then he noticed it.
Tears.
Silent tears flowed down her cheeks.
She didn't even seem aware of them.
"Erix?"
No.
Not Erix.
Someone else's voice.
Someone she had known.
Someone she had lost.
The look on her face made his chest tighten unexpectedly.
Fear.
Raw fear.
Without hesitation he severed the connection.
The astral transfer collapsed instantly.
"Lyra."
No response.
"Lyra."
Nothing.
Her gaze remained distant.
Unfocused.
Lost.
Erix moved forward.
"Look at me."
Still nothing.
Then suddenly—
Lyra shoved him.
Hard.
Erix stumbled backward.
For a brief moment surprise crossed his face.
Lyra stood.
Breathing heavily.
Her hands trembled.
She touched her cheek.
Wet.
Tears.
When had she started crying?
The realization seemed to startle her.
Without a word she grabbed her bag.
Then headed for the door.
Fast.
Almost running.
"Lyra."
She didn't stop.
The door flew open.
The hallway fell silent.
Everyone was still there.
Apparently nobody had left.
Amy.
Lucian.
Rivan.
Kaelan.
Several students from nearby classes.
Every single one of them froze.
Because Lyra was crying.
And —
Her hood had slipped from her head.
Nobody had ever seen that before.
Lyra immediately looked away.
She just wanted to leave.
Wanted distance.
Wanted silence.
Wanted the memories to stop.
Behind her—
The door opened again.
Erix stepped into the hallway.
Concern was visible on his face.
A sight so rare that several students nearly forgot to breathe.
"Lyra."
She kept walking.
"Wait."
The voice followed.
Closer.
Closer.
Then—
A hand touched her shoulder.
For an instant—
The hallway vanished.
Flames.
Blood.
A hand reaching toward her through fire.
Desperation.
Loss.
Screaming.
Fear.
The past and present collided.
Her body reacted before her mind could.
Crack.
The sound echoed through the hallway.
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Erix stood motionless.
A red mark slowly appeared on his cheek.
Nobody moved.
Nobody spoke.
Amy's mouth fell open.
Lucian looked like his soul had left his body.
Even Kaelan appeared speechless.
Lyra stared at her own hand.
Horror filled her face.
No.
No no no.
She hadn't meant—
She hadn't—
Reality returned all at once.
The hallway.
The students.
Erix.
The slap.
Everyone had seen it.
Every single person.
Lyra's face went pale.
Silence remained.
No one knew what to say.
No one knew what had just happened.
Least of all Lyra.
Because for the first time since arriving at Valmere—
She was afraid.