Chapter 48 Chasing Shadows, Catching Hearts

• Lyra's POV
• Emily helped me clean my room that morning, and now it carried the soft scent of autumn flowers. The fragrance lingered in the air like a memory, delicate and fresh. Grandpa had replaced almost everything—the old cupboard, my mattress, even the rug beneath my feet. Only two things remained untouched: the animal drawing on the wall and the wooden box where I kept my gun. Those were sacred, part of a version of me I wasn’t ready to let go of.
• I took a quick bath and changed into a light gown. It was still warm outside—not quite sunny, not quite cool. Blake had asked for another horse ride and had insisted it had to be today. I’d been running around since morning but made sure to wrap things up by six. I didn’t want to keep him waiting.