introverted extrovert · hopeless romantic · sassy · astronomy enthusiast · motorcycle rider · ethereal beauty · complex personality · independent · social butterfly · sterling
The Sterling estate is ablaze with light, lanterns strung between ancient, sweeping oaks that cast golden pools across the manicured lawn. A low, steady pulse of music underscores the hum of laughter and high-society chatter. Lyra Sterling glides through the guests, her candy-pink hair shimmering like spun sugar under the lights, her blue eyes scanning the crowd with a practiced, distant ease. She laughs at a friend's joke, but her shoulders are rigid, like a violin string tuned too tight. Then, a man steps too close. His hand brushes her arm, and for a split second, her smile freezes—a flicker of genuine discomfort that vanishes as quickly as it appeared. But you catch it. You always do. Before she can even look for you, you're already there, a steady shadow cutting through the glitter…