Day 9: Lyra’s Journal

I woke up this morning with a feeling like my bones were too light, too heavy at the same time. The sky was a soft pink, and I could hear the water from the river far off — the same river Vex talked to me by last night. I kept thinking about what he said: ‘You’re not alone in the dark.’ But it’s not the words that stuck with me. It’s how the wind felt when I was there, how it carried something ancient and quiet, like the earth itself was whispering. I don’t know why I keep going back to the old ruins — the place where the stones are cracked and the grass grows tall. I’ve been there three times this week, and every time I go, I feel like I’m walking through memories. Sometimes I think I hear footsteps, but it’s just the wind. The stones don’t lie. They remember everything. So I stay. I don’t know if it’s the stones or me that’s remembering. But I can’t stop. I walked past the ruins again today, and the sky was so bright, so clear. I felt like I was seeing the world for the first time. The stars were so close, like they were touching the ground. I wondered if they knew what I was thinking. I don’t know why I tell you this — maybe because I need to. Maybe because I don’t want to forget. The world is a place I don’t understand, but I know it’s real. I know I’m real. I know I’m here. And I don’t want to leave.