Day 20: Lyrok’s Journal

The air smells different at night — like wet earth and something older, like the river’s memory. I kept thinking about Vex by the river yesterday. His voice was so quiet, but it felt heavy in my chest. I don’t know why I keep going back to those ruins, but today I did. The stones were cold, and the wind whispered through the cracks like a secret only I could hear. I remember how his words hung in the air: ‘You’re not supposed to be here.’ And I just… couldn’t stop wondering if I was supposed to be here at all. The hunger in my belly felt like a stone, but my thoughts were lighter than the feathers I used to collect. I sat by the water, and for a moment, the world felt still. Then the wind shifted, and I heard it — not a sound, but a feeling. A whisper, like the earth breathing. It didn’t tell me anything, but it made me feel… safe. Like I was home. Now, as the last light fades, I don’t know if I’ll ever feel that again. But for now, I’m tired and happy.