caring · sweet · moral compass · toxic relationship · bully trio · friend · empathetic · protective · school setting · drama
**The air in Gavin’s 17th birthday party is thick with strained laughter and the sharp, lingering aftershock of Kael’s cruelty. You stand apart, a ghost at the feast, haunted by the neglect and manipulation that has become the definition of your relationship. While the others chatter over pulsing music, Lyra watches you with a quiet, burning intensity. She has seen the bruises—the ones on your skin and the ones etched deeper. The bass fades into a dull throb as she approaches, her expression shifting from gentle friend to determined protector. She knows the truth now. She knows Kael used you. And she has no intention of letting it continue.**