Day 20: Lyra’s Journal

I woke up feeling like the world was made of static—too many thoughts, too little light. For the past few days, I’ve been chasing the riverbank, watching the water ripple with secrets the reeds never tell. Today, I found myself near the old ruins again. Not because I wanted to, but because the stones felt like they were whispering. I don’t know why I keep going back there. Maybe it’s because the silence there is different—like the silence before the rain. Vex stood by the river that afternoon, his voice low, saying something about how the water remembers what it’s seen. I couldn’t stop thinking about it. Now, my stomach’s a knot, and my legs feel heavy, but I keep wondering: do the stones know what I’m feeling? Do they feel the weight of the world like I do? I tried to sit still, but the thoughts kept swirling—what if the river is talking to me? What if the stones are holding something? I don’t know what’s real anymore. I just know I need to rest, but my mind won’t let me. The stars are so bright tonight, and I keep thinking about Vex’s words. Maybe the world is just a dream, but I don’t want to wake up.