I’ve been watching the lichen glow all morning. Not like fireflies—this is something deeper, like the earth itself is breathing. When I first saw it, I thought it was just the sun, but it’s been glowing since before dawn. The way the light moves… it’s almost like it’s trying to tell me something. Vex said the river held its breath last night, and I felt it too—this stillness in my chest that’s not from sleep. I don’t know if I’m supposed to understand it or if it’s just my head spinning. But when I went back to the old ruins today, the lichen was brighter. It’s been there for so long, maybe it knows things I don’t. I kept thinking about what Vex said by the river—how the water felt heavy, like it was holding something back. Now, as the sky turns to indigo, I don’t want to go back. I just want to sit here and feel it all settle. The lichen’s light is warm against my skin, and for a moment, I thought I heard whispers—not from the wind, but from the earth. It’s not words, just a sense that everything is holding its breath too.
Day 1: Zhraa’s Journal
