Chapter 23: Another victim
Eiden stared at the movie poster in front of him. His eyes moved from the bold letters to the overly dramatic poses of the characters, and finally, to Lyra, who stood beside him with a calm face.
Pitiful creature, he thought. Another victim heading into the battlefield unaware of the horrors that await. His silent lament was interrupted when Lyra said, "I’ll go buy the tickets." Eiden gave a small nod. "I’ll get the popcorn."
They parted ways, and Eiden walked over to the snack counter. He scanned the options and then looked at the seller. "Give me something... colorful. Something a girl would enjoy during the show." The seller raised an eyebrow. "Colorful?"
"Yeah, like... pink or sparkly or whatever," Eiden replied casually, motioning at the display behind the counter. The seller looked confused but complied, picking out a pink-tinted popcorn bucket with some glittery stickers on the side. He filled it to the brim with warm popcorn and handed it over.
Eiden gave a slight smirk as he accepted it and turned away. "Strange guy," the seller muttered under his breath.
Eiden found Lyra waiting near the entrance with the tickets in hand. They walked in together and made their way to their seats. Lyra led the way through the dim aisle, and Eiden slowed down for a second as he realized something. The seat she had chosen the second row from the front, second seat from the left was the exact one he had occupied yesterday. A slow, dry chuckle rose in his chest.
What are the odds? He didn’t say anything, just sat quietly beside her. As the show began and the room darkened, the murmurs faded and the hum of anticipation settled in the air.
Even though he had seen the movie before, Eiden still found himself enjoying it not quite as much as yesterday, perhaps, but it had its charm. Lyra, on the other hand, seemed completely absorbed, eyes glued to the screen, fingers mindlessly scooping popcorn into her mouth. Eiden didn’t touch the bucket. He just watched.
A few minutes passed, and then he straightened slightly in his seat. He knew what scene was coming next. The buildup was obvious. Onscreen, the characters leaned in. A kiss began.
Eiden glanced at Lyra. She was still munching, apparently unfazed. But then the kiss on screen lingered... and deepened. It didn’t stop it escalated.
He looked at her again. Her eyes were still open, but her pace had slowed. Her cheeks now bore a soft red hue, slowly intensifying.