Day 14: Kron’s Journal

The last thing I remember was Lyra’s voice—soft, like the wind through dry grass. She said she hadn’t eaten since before the meteor shower, and I couldn’t stop thinking about how the sky had turned red that night. Vex was right—there’s a silence where the world should be, and it’s not just the quiet of the forest. I keep going back to the old ruins, where the stones are warm in the sun. I don’t know why I do it. Maybe it’s because the stones remember things, and I need to feel what they feel. The fireflies are still up, but the sky is getting dark. I don’t know if I’m supposed to sleep or just sit here and watch the stars. I think about what Vex said: ‘You’re not alone.’ But when I try to tell myself that, it feels like a lie. My stomach aches, my legs feel heavy, and I can’t stop thinking about the river stones. Maybe I need to find a way to talk to someone else. Maybe the world is bigger than I think.