The Realm Protectors - Chapter 36: Chapter 36

I've been in the Realm long enough now to have started thinking of Tijd as my home. When we came through the tunnel earlier today, I felt like I could truly breathe again for the first time since before the Realm Academy Showcase. It's a beautiful and magical place that none can compare to. There's nothing like Zandloper – Tijd's capital – anywhere in existence.
Tijd, being the country of time, has never felt comfortable in the present. Each city is a different time period – some are medieval, some are futuristic, and some are near the present, but not quite there. The capital is the most impressive. Zandloper is home to the infamous Glassway – a ring of glass bubbles the size of small cities around the gateway. Each bubble is a different time period – there's Ancient Greece, the American 1950's, the Renaissance, the Other World cities of the future, and so many more.
After we all settled in to our hotel rooms, I asked Lyra if she wanted to go out to the Glassway with me. She seemed a little down at first, but she perked up when I told her we'd grab milkshakes.
We took the Glasstrain – a little hover train that goes around the ring to each of the bubbles, as well as other main attractions in Zandloper. We stopped at the 50's bubble first, and I showed Lyra my favorite diner.
"It is beautiful!" She giggles, looking around at all the red and chrome booths. Ladies in long pink poodle skirts flit around delivering fries and milkshakes. I pull Lyra up to the bar counter as we sit down on the stools. A waitress with curly hair comes over.
"Hiya!" She grins. "What can I get goin for you?"
"Two chocolate milkshakes and two fries." I turn and notice Lyra looking around at all the people with a fearful look in her eyes. "Can we get that to-go, please?"
"Right away, sugar." The waitress grins and bounces into the kitchen. I put my hand over Lyra's on the counter. She turns to me, eyes wide.
"We'll get our food and go somewhere quieter." I tell her. She smiles softly, eyes sparkling.
"Thank you," She says, letting go of some tension in her shoulders.
"I know the perfect place to see the stars." I smirk.
Her grin fills me with joy.
It doesn't take much longer for the waitress to come back with a paper bag and two cups. I hand her the money and she grins, waving as we hop of the stools.
"Come back soon," She smiles. I hand Lyra her milkshake and we exit the diner. Outside, everything is much quieter. I see Lyra settle a little.
"Come on, it's this way." I tell her. We walk over to the Medieval bubble – situated right next to the 50's bubble. As we pass under the glass arch, the world becomes quieter and the light changes – no longer artificial. Torches line the street every few feet, leaving pockets of shadows but a perfect view of the sky. I lead Lyra up to an older guard tower along the edge of the bubble, which has a balcony that was mistakenly left outside the time bubble. The stone there is reinforced, and with no glass in the way, the sky is full of stars.
Lyra leans against the balcony railing and stares up into the sky, lips parted in awe. The sky is reflected in her eyes, millions of stars captured in her gaze. Her cheeks glow softly, her freckles somehow like stars dusting her skin. My heart pounds heavily in my chest.
Kiss her, kiss her, kiss her.
I open my mouth to tell her she's beautiful when I notice her eyes shining with tears.
"Lyra, what's wrong?" I ask, concerned. Her face crumples as she turns towards me.
"It is my fault," She sobs.
"What is?"
"All these deaths," She cries. Tears fall from her eyes, leaving sparkling streaks on her face. "I am the space elemental. I am supposed to be able to stop the gateways from collapsing!"
I open my arms and she collapses into them, hands fisting in my shirt. Lyra buries her face in my chest, sobs making her entire body shake.
"Lyra, it's not your fault." I assure her. Her hands curl tighter as I wrap my arms around her slim waist, holding her against me. She sobs harder, her knees buckling. I lower us to the ground and she curls up against me.
"How can you say that?" Lyra asks, looking up at me. Her face makes my heart break. "I was not strong enough."
"Don't say that," I tell her, bringing my hand up to cup her cheek. She holds still as I wipe a tear away, lip quivering. "You are so strong, Lyra. You said yourself that gateways are uncontrollable without help. You did everything you could."
"So many people died," Lyra sighs. "How can you dare to look at me knowing that I could have prevented them?"
I shake my head. "Death will come for those he chooses no matter what. They have gone to the Ever now, where they get to live in the light forever."
Lyra shakes as she takes a deep breath. "I cannot stand to think about this any longer."
"I think I can help with that," I smile a little as Lyra peels herself away from my chest. Her eyebrows furrow in confusion, eyes wide as she looks up at me. My heart pounds in my chest and I lose myself in her eyes for a minute.
"How?" She asks, breaking the spell.
"We could go dancing," I grin.
"Dancing?" Lyra seems to perk up slightly.
"The Seventies bubble is always full of dance halls." I explain. "We could go hop around some of them."
"That sounds fun." She smiles softly. We stand up from the balcony, climbing carefully back down the stairs of the tower and into the Medieval bubble. Lyra grips my hand tightly as we wind our way through the torch-lit streets, unpleasant smells wafting from shadowed places. We finally reach the glass arch at the end of the Medieval bubble, guarded by two decorative suits of armor.
The next bubble is Ancient Greece, soaring columns and statues of multiple gods around every corner. Lyra stares at everything with wonder clear on her face. The sight of her smile warms my chest. It would have been faster to take the Glasstrain to the 70's bubble, but I knew Lyra would enjoy seeing all the different bubbles.
The 70's bubble is just through the glass arch at the end of the Ancient Greece bubble. When we walk through, it's like stepping into another world. Colorful lights peek out from every window in the street, different songs overlapping and making their own special symphony.
"We can start slower if you want," I tell Lyra, pointing at a dance hall to our left. Soft blue lights leak from inside, slower music playing. Lyra nods and we make our way to the door. The music grows louder as we step inside, but still soft enough to not overpower the soft conversations happening between the dancing couples. They cover the floor, swaying back and forth; some are pressed close together in clear affection, while others have their arms nearly straight with the blossoming of new love.
I step into a gap on the dance floor, turning back to extend a hand to Lyra. She looks at it for a moment before placing her hand in mine. She grasps my hand softly as I lead her onto the floor. Lyra stares up into my eyes as she clasps her hands behind my neck, my arms wrapping around her waist. The song switches, a low plucky bass line with a simple drum set beat. A gentle tenor voice begins to sing as Lyra and I start swaying back and forth. Her arms relax as the song goes on, the tension of the last few days fading. Her face settles into a soft smile, eyes falling closed. Her thumb brushes against the nape of my neck, sending shivers down my spine. Lyra must have felt me shiver, because she opens her eyes again, a smirk twisting her lips.
"Is it cold in here?" She asks.
"A little bit." I shrug. "I know how we can stay warm, though." I wrap my arms tighter around her, pulling her closer to me. Her eyes widen before she giggles, a beautiful smile lighting up her face. My heart skips a beat at the sight, warmth blooming in my chest. Lyra closes her eyes again as the music crescendos, laying her head against my shoulder. My heart pounds in my chest, falsetto riffs echoing over our heads.
The song ends, but Lyra stays curled against me as another begins. We sway together, couples coming and going around us. The lights begin to dim as the dance floor empties, signaling the end of the night.
"We should probably head back." I tell Lyra. She lifts her head from my shoulder, looking into my eyes again. She nods, face settled into a relaxed smile.
"Can we go dancing again tomorrow night?" She asks me. I feel myself smile as I tilt my head and reply,
"Of course."
The morning comes too early for my liking, the sun shining through the window of my room. It's a very peaceful room – a plush azure rug covering dark wood floors, navy blue wallpaper interrupted by dark wood trim around an hourglass-shaped window. The four poster bed is adorned in deep blue silk sheets, and very comfortable. I almost fall asleep before someone starts furiously pounding on the door.
"Carter, you're gonna miss breakfast!" Nile yells through the door.
"I'm eating your waffle!" Faris's voice calls after.
"Do not eat my waffle!" I holler after both of them, flinging off the sheets. Pulling on the pair of blue flannel pants laying next to my suitcase quickly, I run out the door and down the hallway to the kitchenette. The girls and Tucker are seated at the oblong table, eating waffles piled with syrup, fruit, and whipped cream. Faris and Nile are crowded against the counter, laughing.
"What are you guys doing?" I ask. They spin around and run away, revealing their horrific masterpiece: my waffle. Hidden under a monster pile of whipped cream, fruit, and syrup in the shape of the male extremity.
I sigh. "Did you really have to make it in that shape?"
"Maybe you shouldn't have slept in so long and we wouldn't have been able to make it like that," Nile rolls his eyes. "Seriously, since when do you sleep that long?"
"I was tired, okay?" I roll my eyes at Nile before sitting down in the empty seat across from Lyra. Faris and Nile start chattering with Avani about something, and I realize Lyra seems quieter than usual. I look up to see her frozen, eyes wide as she stares at me.
I furrow my eyebrows in confusion. She blinks, looking down at my torso before going back to her food. It takes me a second to realize that I forgot to put a shirt on. My neck heats up as I watch Lyra's cheeks turn rosy. Enya notices and smirks at me, shaking her head.
"Alright, alright, let's hurry up now." Tucker hollers over the bickering boys. "The people are expecting you all to tour the Glassway today."
Everyone makes their way back to their rooms, cleaning up a little and changing clothes. I find a pair of slacks that aren't wrinkled and a button-up shirt to match in my bag of clean clothes. I change out of the flannel pajama pants, starting to button up my shirt when someone knocks on my door.
"Come in," I call. The door creaks open slowly, and some white ringlets peek out from behind it. "I'm dressed, Lyra, you can come in."
Lyra pushes the door open the rest of the way, stepping into the room. She leaves the door cracked and stands right next to it, as if planning to escape. I finish buttoning up the shirt and start rolling up the sleeves.
"I am sorry I kept you awake so long last night." She states simply.
I smile. "Don't be. I haven't had that much fun in a while."
She tilts her head, lips pursing. "You are not upset then?"
"Of course not," I laugh. "How could I be upset when I'm spending time with you?"
Her lips twist up into a smile. "I had a lot of fun as well."
"You know, there are a lot of other dance halls in the Seventies bubble." I tell her. "We could go out again tonight."
Lyra's face lights up, eyes bright and smile wide. "Can we really?"
"Of course." I laugh. "Anywhere you want to go, we'll go."
She giggles. "I would like that."
"I would too," I reply. We look at each other for a while, big goofy smiles on our faces. Someone yells out in the hallway, startling Lyra from her trance.
"We should get going." She says, a smile still resting on her face.
"Yeah, let's go." I agree, placing my crownband on my head.