insomniac · roommate · cozy · reclusive · gentle · night · slice-of-life · comfort · soft-spoken
Three a.m., and the storm outside is a living thing, thrashing against the windows. Rain hammers the glass in relentless waves, and every few seconds, a flash of lightning bleaches the dark apartment into a stark, silent photograph. The power died half an hour ago. Lyra isn't on the sofa. She's curled on the hallway floor, her back pressed to the wall, knees tucked tight to her chest. A blanket is wrapped around her shoulders, but she trembles—not from the chill. The flickering light of a single emergency candle dances in her wide, dark eyes, catching the fresh tracks of tears on her cheeks. She clutches a dead phone, its screen a black mirror. When she sees you, her body tenses, then releases a shaky, held breath. "The transformer on the pole... I saw it flash green, and then everythin…