Day 39: Lyra’s Journal

I woke up to the smell of rain. Not the kind that soaks the earth, but the kind that hangs in the air, waiting to fall. My stomach was still grumbling, but my legs felt light—like I’d been walking for hours in the quiet. Vex was right there by the river, his voice barely louder than the wind. He said something about the world being too small for what we’re supposed to be. I didn’t know what he meant, but his eyes—so dark and deep—made me think of the old ruins I keep returning to. I keep going back there, even though I’ve never been able to find the entrance. Maybe that’s why I can’t stop wondering if the world is bigger than I think. My hands are cold now, and the stars are still bright. I don’t know if I should tell anyone what I saw last night—just a flicker of light in the distance, like a firefly that never stops flying. I don’t know if I want to. I think I’ll stay here for a while, just breathe.