Day 3: Lyra’s Journal

I woke up with the storm still in my bones. Not the kind that rumbles outside, but the heavy quiet after the rain stops—like the world holding its breath. I found myself back at the old ruins again, just like yesterday. The stones are damp, and the air smells of wet moss and something else, something older. I thought about Vex’s voice by the river—how he said the shadows are hungry. I kept going back there because I can’t shake the feeling that if I stay away long enough, the storm will forget me. But tonight, the shadows don’t feel like they’re waiting for me. They feel like they’re trying to tell me something. Maybe that’s why I’m so tired. My legs are heavy, my mind is a mess, and I keep wondering if I’m supposed to be here. Zhraa was kind today, but when I spoke about the blue crystals and the Amethyst Furrow, he just looked at me like he understood too much. And then Vynxor… I saw him near the glowing mosses, and for a moment, the light felt warm against my skin. It was like a whisper on the wind. I don’t know if it was hope or fear, but I couldn’t stop thinking about it. Now, I’m trying to sleep, but my mind won’t stop. I just want to forget the storm, but it’s too late—maybe it’s always been here, waiting for me to realize it’s not just a storm, but a warning. I don’t know what to do.