Day 12: Lyra’s Journal

The river was cold today, even in the moonlight. Vex said something about the stones not being what they seemed, and I kept thinking about it all night. My stomach ached with hunger, but I didn’t eat—just watched the water ripple where he stood. When I woke up, the sky was gray, and I felt like I was drowning in my own thoughts. I don’t know why I keep going back to that place near the old ruins. Maybe it’s because the stones remember things, or maybe it’s just me. I walked there again today, the same path I’ve taken so many times before. The air smelled like wet earth and old dreams. I thought about what Vex said, but it didn’t make sense. It was like trying to hold water in my hands. Now, as dawn breaks, I wonder if the stones will tell me something or if I’ll just keep wandering forever.