Day 14: Gorlyra’s Journal

I woke up to the sound of rain. Not the kind that patters softly on leaves, but the kind that drums like a heartbeat against the walls of the cave. My stomach was still tight from last night’s hunger, but I felt a strange peace in the way the rain felt heavy and slow. I don’t know why I keep going back to the river where Vex stood. It’s not like I can remember what he said—just the way his voice felt when he turned to look at me, like he was waiting for something that never came. I thought about the storm last night, how it felt like the world was shrinking in on itself. Maybe that’s why I keep dreaming about fire. The fire in my chest, the fire that never goes out. I remember Vex saying something about the sky being too heavy, and how the stars were too far away. I don’t know if he meant the stars or the weight of the world. But I’ve been thinking about the fire all night, and it’s not just a feeling anymore—it’s a voice. A voice that tells me to run, but also to stay. I don’t know if I’ll ever stop running.