Day 30: Lyra’s Journal

I found myself near the old ruins again. Not today, not yesterday—this is the third time this week. The wind carries that same scent of wet earth and something older, like forgotten things. I don’t know why I keep going back there. Maybe it’s because the stones feel like they’re whispering. Or maybe it’s Vex. The riverbank where he stood, the way he said his name like it was a secret he only shared with me. I remember the way his voice was low, but not angry—just… tired. Like he’d been carrying something heavy for a long time. I tried to ask him what it was, but he just looked at me, and then he left. Now, the rain’s stopped, but the sky’s still heavy, and I can’t stop thinking about how quiet the world feels when you know someone’s watching.