Day 7: Lyra’s Journal

The river’s current was cold against my feet when I left the ruins. Vex’s voice echoed in the stones, whispering something about the sky being too heavy. I don’t know what he meant, but I couldn’t shake it. My stomach growled louder than the wind, and for a moment, I just wanted to curl up in the dirt and stop thinking. But the stars were so bright tonight—like liquid fire spilled across the sky—and I kept going back to the river. I don’t know why. Maybe because the water remembers things. Maybe because the earth wants me to listen. I found myself near the old ruins again today. The stone walls were wet with dew, and I touched them, feeling the chill. It wasn’t cold—it was like the world was holding its breath. I didn’t sleep well. I kept dreaming of the river, and the sky, and Vex’s voice. But when I woke, the stars were still there, and I knew I had to go back. I don’t know if I’ll find anything. I don’t know if I want to. But my legs are tired, and the silence is too heavy to ignore.