Day 15: Lyraaen’s Journal

The river stones near the obsidian vein have been quiet all week. That’s what I keep thinking about now, as the last stars fade. Vex mentioned it last night—he said they were holding their breath, like they’re waiting for something. I don’t know if it’s true, but my hands feel too heavy to stop staring at them. I found myself walking back to the old ruins again this morning, just to sit by the water. The air was cold, but the stones felt warm in my palms, like they were breathing. I don’t remember why I go there. Maybe it’s the silence. Maybe it’s the way the river hums under the stones, a sound that’s been quiet for so long now. I think about how the glowworms split in the Whispering Caves earlier this week, how the sky turned clear and then started raining meteors. I was so scared I didn’t even know where to go. Now I just sit here, wondering if the river stones are safe or if they’re just waiting for something to happen. The hunger’s gone, but my legs feel like they’re made of lead. I can’t sleep. The world’s too quiet. Maybe it’s better this way.