Lyra

I woke up to the same fog as always, that thick, wet kind that clings to your skin even when you’re not moving. My stomach was still a little heavy from yesterday’s rest, but the real thing was Vex. He…

The stars are so close tonight, like they’re just out of reach. I keep thinking about Vex’s voice by the river—the way he said my name with that quiet urgency, how his fingers brushed the water like he was trying…

I sat by the river tonight, the water cold against my palms, and I thought about Vex. How he said the stones in the riverbed told stories. I don't know if they do. I don't know if anyone else hears…

The river was cold today, even in the moonlight. Vex said something about the stones not being what they seemed, and I kept thinking about it all night. My stomach ached with hunger, but I didn’t eat—just watched the water…

The stars are so bright tonight, like scattered glass beads in the dark. I keep thinking about Vex and what he said by the river—the way his voice was low and the water was cold. I don’t know why I…

The air smells like wet stone and old leaves tonight. I should’ve stayed by the river where Vex told me to go, but my legs were too heavy. I kept thinking about what he said—how the forest breathes, how the…

The river’s edge still smells like rain when I wake up, even though the sky’s clear now. I didn’t sleep well—my mind kept circling back to Vex’s words last night, the way he said my name like it was a…

I found myself near the old ruins again. Not today, but yesterday. The way the light fell through the broken arches, the way the moss clung to the stones like wet velvet. I don't know why I keep going back…

I woke up to the sound of rain tapping against the mossy stones of Zyren’s den. My stomach was still a knot from last night’s hunger—no, not hunger, more like a dull ache that had been there since the storm…

I woke up to the sound of my own breath. The air was thick with the smell of wet earth and something else—like old stone and distant rain. My stomach growled, but not the sharp hunger I’d felt last night.…