Chapter 307: Meeting Lyra

The cruise ship sailed smoothly across the sparkling blue ocean, the wind blowing gently across the upper deck. Lyra stood alone at the railing, her denim shorts and white net top fluttering softly. The thin fabric pressed against her body, showing off her curves every time the breeze picked up.

She stared up at the bright sky, watching a few white birds fly by.

"Where are you, Austin..." she muttered quietly to herself. Her hair danced in the wind, strands flying across her face.

*Tap... Tap...*

The sound of casual footsteps approached from behind. A pair of white Converse shoes stopped right beside her at the railing. Lyra didn’t turn her head. She assumed it was just another random passenger enjoying the view.

"The air feels fresh, right?" a familiar voice said in a calm, serious tone.

"Yea—" Lyra started to answer automatically, but then her brain caught up. She froze mid-word. That voice...

She turned her head slowly to the side.

There I was, standing right next to her.

I wore a clean white jacket over a simple white t-shirt and blue jeans. My hood was down for once, and my eyes were fixed on the beautiful ocean view in front of us.

I took a slow breath, then spoke again. "Umm... I missed this freshness. Those clubs and stuff surely drain you out."

I finally turned my head and looked straight at her, a small smile on my face.

Lyra’s eyes went wide. Her lips parted in shock.

"Austin..." she whispered. Tears quickly filled her eyes, making them shine.

"Yo, Lyra! How’s it going?" I asked casually, still smiling like we had just bumped into each other at the pool.

For a second she just stared at me, tears threatening to spill over. Then her face changed.

"Mother Fucker! Come here!" She said and jumped forward without warning and threw herself at me, wrapping her arms around my neck in a tight hug. Her body pressed against mine, warm and soft.

"Ow!" I let out a surprised sound as the sudden hug nearly knocked me back a step. I caught her anyway, steadying us both. ℯ

Lyra buried her face into my shoulder, holding on like she was afraid I would disappear again.

"I thought you left without even saying a proper goodbye to me," she said, voice muffled against my jacket. I could feel her breath and the slight tremble in her words.

I wrapped my arms around her back, pulling her closer in a gentle hug. One hand rubbed slow circles between her shoulder blades.

"Huh? We spent a good amount of time together for me to just leave like that," I said softly, trying to calm her down. "Don’t you think?"

She didn’t answer right away. She just held me tighter, her net top shifting against my chest. The wind kept blowing around us, carrying the fresh smell of the sea.

After a long moment, Lyra finally pulled her head back just enough to look up at my face. Her eyes were still watery, but now a small, relieved smile was breaking through.

"You idiot..." she whispered, half-laughing, half-crying. "You really scared me."

"Sorry about that. Things got a little crazy back there." I grinned down at her and lightly flicked her forehead with one finger.

She laughed softly and rested her forehead against my chest for a second, still not letting go.

The ship continued sailing, the waves gently rocking beneath us. Around us, other passengers walked by, chatting and laughing, completely unaware of the emotional reunion happening at the railing.

For now, it was just me and Lyra — standing together in the fresh sea air, the wind playing with her hair, my arms still wrapped around her.

And for the first time in hours, everything felt a little bit lighter.

The sea breeze kept blowing gently across the upper deck, making Lyra’s hair dance around her shoulders. She pulled back from the hug just a little, still keeping her arms loosely around me. A tight, grateful smile appeared on her lips.

"Thanks for coming though..." she said softly.

I kept my hands on her shoulders, looking straight into her eyes.

"I will be leaving before evening though," I told her.

Her smile faded a bit and her brows pulled together in worry.

"Why so early?" she asked, voice full of concern.

"Queen and the knights are on the lookout. My shadow mystics also need me now." I let out a small sigh and replied, glancing quickly at the ocean before looking back at her.

Lyra nodded slowly, understanding right away.

"You mean... they are finding Zero, right?" she asked, just to make sure.

"Yes," I answered. "Even now, I just sneaked in just to meet you."

A warm smile spread across my face.

"That’s good to know," she said, sounding relieved. Then she placed her hand gently on my chest, right over my heart. "But you are alright, right?"

"Yep, all good," I replied, covering her hand with mine for a second. I leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on her cheek. "What about you though?"

"I am also fine. My husband took care of all the talks with the knights and security." Lyra said, giggling quietly, her cheeks turning a little pink.

"Yeah," I said with a small laugh. "Your husband runs a big ass company in the country. Obviously getting out of this type of mess won’t be any trouble for him."

"Yep..." She flashed a bright smile, showing all her teeth, looking genuinely happy for a moment.

We both turned and stepped closer to the railing, side by side, looking out at the endless blue ocean. The ship moved steadily forward, cutting through the waves with a soft hum.

"So..." I started, resting my arms on the railing. "I also wanted to ask you something..."

"Yeah? What is it, Austin?" Lyra asked. She stood right beside me, leaning on the railing too, her shoulder lightly touching mine. The wind played with her net top again, making the thin fabric flutter against her skin.

I looked at her for a second, then turned my gaze back to the sparkling water.

The two of us stood there quietly for a moment, the fresh sea air blowing around us, waiting for whatever I was going to say next.

The ship kept sailing on, carrying us farther away from the troubled island, while the sun shone brightly overhead. For now, it felt peaceful—just me and Lyra, sharing a quiet moment together on the open sea.