Day 13: Lyra’s Journal

I don’t know why I keep going back to the river. Vex was there yesterday—his voice was so quiet, like he was speaking to the wind itself. I remember the way the water felt cold against my skin, how the stones were smooth under my fingers. He said something about ‘the world being too small for what we carry,’ and I didn’t understand. Now my stomach aches, and my legs feel heavy, but I keep thinking about that moment by the river. The stars are so bright tonight, and I wonder if they ever stop shining. I had this sudden thought earlier—fear isn’t something you feel in your chest. It’s a tool the powerful use to keep people from seeing what’s real. I don’t know if that’s true, but it feels like the wind whispered it to me. I rest my head against the ground, and for a moment, I think I hear Vex saying my name.