Lyra knew something was wrong the moment her name was called.
"Lyra. Step forward."
The kitchen didn't fall completely silent, but the shift in attention was enough to make her chest tighten. She wiped her hands on her apron and walked over.
Head Maid Elira was already waiting. Beside her, a senior servant held up a broken tray, split clean through the middle.
"This was assigned to you," Elira said.
Lyra frowned. "No, I .."
"It was found near your station," the servant cut in. "Damaged."
Murmurs spread, quick and low.
Lyra shook her head. "No, I didn't break it. I wasn't even working there."
Elira's expression didn't change. "So, who? someone else did?"
Lyra hesitated.
It wouldn't matter what she said. The outcome was already decided.
"…I don't know what happened."
Elira exhaled softly. "Carelessness is still your responsibility."
"I wasn't do that.."
"Enough."
Lyra stopped.
"Bring her in."
A hand closed around her arm before she could react. She was pulled out of the kitchen, down the corridor, and into the courtyard.
Students filled the space, voices overlapping ... until they noticed.
The change spread quickly. Conversations thinned. Heads turned.
"What happened... ?"
"Another servant messed up?"
Lyra's stomach tightened.
Elira stepped forward, her voice carrying easily. "Negligence. Damage to academy property."
"I didn't do it," Lyra said, holding her voice steady.
Ha. . Ha..
A few students laughed.
"They all say that."
"Of course she didn't."
Elira didn't look at her. "The punishment stands."
Lyra's hands curled slightly.
"Stand here," Elira said. "Until told otherwise."
That was it.
No explanation. No one cared enough to ask for one.
Lyra straightened. "…Yes."
At first, it didn't feel like much.
Just standing.
But time stretched, slow and heavy.
Minutes passed.
No one cleared the courtyard. If anything, more people slowed as they passed, drawn by the quiet scene.
Some lingered. Others whispered. A few didn't bother lowering their voices.
"A half-blood getting punished. Not surprising."
"She looks like she might drop."
"Let's see how long she lasts."
Lyra kept her gaze forward.
She stayed still, moving only when she had to.
The ache started in her legs, dull at first, then spreading upward until it settled deep into her muscles. Her back tightened, shoulders stiffening as the cold air sank in.
The weakness from earlier hadn't gone anywhere.
It came back stronger.
Her body felt heavier with every passing minute.
Her breathing slowed, uneven but controlled.
Just stay upright.
A group of girls passed by, slowing just enough to look.
One of them smiled faintly. "Still standing?"
Lyra didn't answer.
"Not for long," another said, and they walked off, laughing quietly.
Her vision flickered.
She shifted her weight slightly, careful not to make it obvious.
Not here.
She couldn't fall here.
Across the courtyard, someone stopped.
Kael hadn't meant to.
He had been on his way somewhere else when the scene caught his attention.
A servant being punished.
Usually, it wouldn't matter.
This time—
He recognized her.
That alone made him pause.
He stayed where he was, watching from a distance.
Something about her didn't sit right.
She stood too still.
No protest. No reaction.
Just… enduring it.
The crowd shifted around her, voices rising and falling, but she didn't respond.
Only her breathing gave anything away.
Kael's gaze sharpened slightly.
She looked like she might collapse.
And still, she held on.
Time passed.
He didn't step in.
There was no reason to.
Still, he didn't leave.
At the center of the courtyard, Lyra's legs began to tremble.
She couldn't hide it anymore.
The strength she'd been forcing together started to slip.
Her fingers curled at her sides.
Her breathing turned shallow.
The voices blurred into something distant.
The ground felt unsteady.
Just a little
Her body swayed.
Then her knees gave.
Darkness closed in at the edges of her vision. ...
And everything went black.