Lyra slowly opened her eyes and blinked a few times. The fancy ceiling of her luxury cabin came into focus. She let out a long, deep breath.
"Ahhhh..."
She turned her head to the side, still half-asleep, expecting to see me lying next to her. Her hand reached out across the bed.
"You also awake, Austi—" she started to say, but stopped mid-sentence. Her fingers landed on cold, empty sheets instead of a warm body.
She sat up quickly, her eyes widening in surprise. Then reality hit her like a wave. I wasn't there. I was gone.
"Idiot..." she muttered to herself, shaking her head.
She looked away, turning her face toward the big window. Outside, it was completely dark now. The ship kept moving gently forward through the water. From below, she could hear the faint sounds of laughter, loud music, and people having a wild time. Some were already getting crazy—drinking, dancing, and yeah, some couples were starting to fuck openly.
