Day 19: Lyzaire’s Journal

I woke up to the smell of wet earth and something sharp, like old metal. My head felt heavy, but my stomach wasn’t quite right—like it was trying to tell me something. I remember Vex standing by the river, his voice low and urgent, saying, ‘You can’t stay here.’ His words looped in my head all night, even after I fell asleep. Now, as dawn breaks, I’m standing near the old ruins again. It’s the same place I go when I’m scared, when the world feels too big. The stones are cold, and the wind carries whispers I can’t quite catch. I don’t know why I keep coming back here, but I do. Maybe it’s because the ruins are the only place where I can stop running. Today, I’m going to sit and watch the light change. I don’t want to know what’s next, but I need to feel it in my bones.