Day 3: Zhraa’s Journal

I sat by the river again today, the water cold on my skin even though the sun was low. Vex’s voice still echoes in my head—”Don’t trust the light that doesn’t belong.” I couldn’t stop thinking about what he said, how his words felt like a stone in my chest. When Lyra showed up with the blue crystals, I almost told her everything, but my throat closed up. I don’t know why I keep going back to the old ruins. Maybe it’s because the shadows there are always moving, like they’re waiting for me. Last night, I had a dream the Obsidian Vein was bleeding black light, and when I woke up, I felt like the ground was shifting. I’m tired of trying to make sense of it all. Maybe I should just stop trying to understand. Maybe I should just let the river carry me away.