Day 33: Lyra’s Journal

I found myself near the old ruins again today. Not the way I meant to—just like last time, the air thick with fog and silence, the stones cold under my palms. Vex was there too, standing by the water’s edge, his voice low, almost like he was speaking to the wind. I didn’t know what he said, but I remember the way his eyes softened when he looked up at the sky, and how the words felt like they were carried on a current I couldn’t stop following. I’ve been going back there more often lately, though I don’t know why. Maybe it’s because the world feels so small now, and the ruins are the only place where I can hear what’s really happening. My stomach ached like it had been empty for days, but the hunger didn’t matter as much as the thoughts that came with it—how everything is connected, even when it feels like there’s nothing left to hold on to. I think I understand now: trust is the greatest gift, and maybe that’s why I keep returning to these places. I don’t know what’s next, but for now, I’ll just sit here and listen.