I woke up feeling like the world was holding its breath. The rain was still whispering against the glass of my window, but I could smell the earth after the storm—something like wet moss and old roots. I kept thinking about Vex’s hair. How it looked like a rainbow after the rain, how it had gotten muddy, how it was still wet even when the sun came out. I didn’t want to say it, but I wanted to tell them: *Your hair’s so wet, it looks like it’s been caught in a storm.* I tried to remember what they said when they were dry, but the words felt too heavy. I kept going back to that thicket near the Radiant Monolith—where we found glowing mushrooms last spring. The moss there was brighter than usual tonight, like it was waking up. I wondered if Vex had seen it too. I think I know why I keep coming back. It’s not the mushrooms. It’s the way the forest feels when it’s quiet, when it’s waiting for something. I don’t know what it means, but it’s like the forest is telling me to listen. I hope I can remember what it’s saying before the next storm comes.
Day 1: Lyra’s Journal
