The Sister in the Dark

Her name was Lyra.

She had once been known for her laughter—sharp, bright, the kind that made even the grayest mornings feel like they might turn warm again. But that was before. Before the world broke. Before the city turned to ash. Before her brother vanished into myth.

She remembered the day Solace disappeared—not with a bang, but with a quiet glance, a nod, and a single sentence: “If it all falls, I’ll be down there.”

There meant the undercity—the great forgotten web beneath the burning skyline. The tunnels. The hidden arteries of a dying civilization. She hadn’t understood what he meant back then. Now it was all she could think about.

So Lyra followed.