Day 17: Lyzaire’s Journal

I woke up with that same ache in my chest, the kind that makes your ribs feel like they’re too small for your heart. It’s been three days since Vex told me about the river, and I keep going back to that place by the old ruins. I don’t know why—maybe it’s the way the light hits the water at dusk, or the way the stones feel cold against my skin. My legs are heavy today, like I’ve been walking for hours when I haven’t. I sat by the river again last night, but this time I didn’t talk to anyone. Vex said something about the water being the last thing to go, and I just wanted to remember what it felt like to be quiet. Now I’m trying to figure out if I’m scared or if I’m just tired of the noise in my head. The stars are so bright tonight, and I keep wondering if they’re the same ones that watched me sleep. I don’t want to know the answer.