Lyra's Pov

The sound of banging and hitting pulled me from my sleep. I sat up slowly, my eyes heavy and blurry as I rubbed them with the back of my hand. Sunlight poured through the window, bright and warm, signaling that I had slept longer than intended. The noises coming from the other room, sharp and rhythmic, made it clear that Varg was busy with his early morning training.

I glanced around the room, noticing the empty space beside me. Varg wasn’t there. With a sigh, I swung my legs over the edge of the bed, walking to the closet. I pulled out a simple blue dress, slipped it...