Day 9: Lyra’s Journal

I found myself near the old ruins again. The rain had stopped by the time I got there, but the air still felt heavy with the kind of silence that comes after a storm. My legs ached from walking too far, and my stomach growled louder than usual. Vex was the last person I saw before the rain started—his voice was low, almost like he was speaking to himself. ‘You’re not meant to be here,’ he said. I didn’t know what he meant, but his words stuck in my head like a stone in my throat. I keep going back there, to the place where the stones are crumbling and the grass is long. Sometimes I think it’s the only place I can be alone without feeling like I’m missing something. The sky turned a pale gold as the sun dipped below the horizon, and for a second I thought I saw a shape moving in the distance—just a shadow, maybe. But then it was gone. I don’t know if I should be scared or if it was just my mind playing tricks. My fingers trembled as I tried to write this down. The wind whispered something, but I couldn’t hear it. It felt like a promise or a warning, but I don’t know which. I hope the world doesn’t end tonight. I hope it just keeps going.