Day 21: Lyra’s Journal

The river reeds still whisper to me. I was sitting by the water this morning—just me and the willow—when Vex showed up. His voice was low, like the stones in the river, and he said something about the light in the reeds. I don’t remember what he said, but it felt heavy. Like the world was holding its breath. I kept thinking about it all day, how the reeds glowed when the sun hit them just right, but Vex made it feel like they were watching me. I tried to tell myself it was just a memory, but it’s still there, a shadow in my chest. I went back to the ruins today. The same one I’ve been going to for days—the crumbling walls, the moss that clings to the stones like a secret. I didn’t touch anything. Just stood there, listening to the wind, and for the first time, I felt like maybe it’s okay to wonder. Maybe the world isn’t as big as I thought, but it’s also not as small as I’ve been pretending. I don’t know what’s going to happen next. But right now, I’m tired. My legs feel heavy, my stomach aches, and I just want to sit in the dark and let the river reeds whisper again.