The woman simply tilted her head and smiled. "Oh my... I wonder who it is."
Kael slowly turned toward the door, and his heart immediately dropped.
There stood Lyra, his mother, one eyebrow arched with that look only a mother could master. Her eyes scanned the room, then settled on Kael.
Kael stiffened. "U-Um… Mother…"
She raised one eyebrow, unimpressed. "Are you sneaking into your father's and my room again?" .
His mouth opened and closed for a moment before he forced out a shaky laugh. "No, no! I wasn't sneaking in. I was just… just passing by. The door was open, and I… uh… I just happened to peek inside. That's all."
"Uh-huh," Lyra said, her faint smile making her even more intimitading. "Just happened to be inside the room, with drawers open and books scattered around?" She stepped forward, each steps loud with suspicion.
Kael gulped, unsure what to say. His eyes flicked sideways—to the woman still standing beside him. She was watching this exchange with amusement, a smug little smirk tugging at her lips.
Wait a minute… Kael's heart skipped. Why isn't Mother reacting to her?
He stared at Lyra again. No change in her expression, no alarm, no surprise, no shouting about a half-naked stranger in her bedroom.
She really doesn't see her, Kael realized, feeling a chill inside him. If she could, she'd already be flipping the entire room upside down.
His confusion and panic must have been written all over his face, because the woman beside him leaned a little closer. Her voice was soft, teasing:
"You're right," she whispered. "Only you can see me."
Kael's whole body froze. His breath caught in his throat as the reality of her words sank in.
Lyra narrowed her eyes, her gaze reading him like an open book.
"What happened?" she asked, stepping closer to Kael, her tone suddenly more concerned. "Why are you so quiet?"
Kael stiffened, trying to swallow the lump in his throat. He couldn't tell her the truth—couldn't say there was a mysterious magical woman standing right beside him, visible only to him, smiling like this was all just a game.
"N-Nothing, Mother," he muttered, looking down at the floor. "I just feel… a little sick."
Lyra raised an eyebrow. "Sick? Or sick now that you're caught?"
She sighed heavily, waving a hand dismissively. "Enough. Go now. And don't sneak into our room again, Kael."
"Yes, Mother." Kael bowed slightly, still flushed, and rushed past her without another word. .
Outside, he leaned against the wall and exhaled, long and deep. "That was scary," he muttered to himself.
He wiped his forehead, realizing only now how much sweat had built up there. The image of the mysterious woman, her confident eyes and teasing smile, burned vividly in his mind.
Inside the room, Lyra stood silently for a moment, her eyes trailing around the slightly messy interior. Her attention fell on the book still lying on the floor. She walked over, picking it up carefully.
"Hm… Why is that boy so hooked by this book?" she murmured, turning it around in her hands.
She recognized it immediately.
"This was Alaric's," she whispered, touching the surface with her fingers. "He hasn't touched this in years…"
She flipped through a few pages—blank. More pages—still blank.
It was empty.
Just like she remembered.
Unimpressed, she closed the book and carefully placed it inside the drawer of the bedside table.
Then she moved to the other open drawer and paused.
Her brow furrowed.
One of her gowns was missing.
She rifled through the drawer to be sure, but there was no mistake. A cream colored sleeping gown that she usually wore during nights was gone.
"Did… Kael take it?" she asked, frowning deeper.
Why would he need my dress? What would he even do with it?
A strange unease curled in her stomach, not quite worry, but not entirely curiosity either.
She shook her head, closing the drawer. "That boy…" she muttered, before walking out of the room.
Meanwhile, back in his own room, Kael had collapsed onto his bed, staring at the ceiling.
Beside him, the green-haired woman slowly manifested into view again, lying next to him as if she had always belonged there.
"I must say," she giggled, "your mother has sharp eyes. But she's blind to me."
Kael sighed, turning his head to look at her. "What are you?"
She smiled. "I'm the answer you weren't looking for… but now you can't escape."
Kael rolled his eyes and turned away, resting on his side with a huff. His heart was still pounding, but he didn't want to give this strange woman the satisfaction of knowing how rattled he was.
The bed shifted slightly as she leaned closer behind him.
"Okay, okay," she said, a soft laugh in her voice. "I'll tell you who I am."