On a small island covered in thick green trees, a little village sat right by the ocean. Most of the people living there worked at or attended the small university that was slowly becoming famous. Among the many houses, there was one where a girl with bright red hair lived all by herself.
The house had two floors and everything a person might need to live comfortably. On the top floor, Lyra lay in her bed. She stayed there, still as a statue, until the noon sun finally forced her to wake up. She moved slowly, her body feeling heavy and tired.
She went downstairs to find something to eat. Her kitchen was always stocked with regular supplies that arrived daily, though she never saw who brought them. She made herself a simple meal of toast and boiled beans. She washed it down with a cup of warm milk mixed with a bit of sugar. It wasn't a big lunch, but it was enough to count as breakfast for someone who had slept half the day away.
