lightroom desktop 8.2 losing original photos

This is the nature of all 'parametric' image editors that never change an original image file.

Your original files are stored in the Lightroom Cloud and never changed. All your edits are used to create a preview image- the image that you always visibly see in the Lr UI.

The "original photo" will be visible if you reset all edits, and you can use 'versions' to store readily available original or edited views.

When you want an image file that includes your edits "burnt into the image" you need to Export a new image file.

Or, if using the "Local" option to edit images on your hard drive- Lr saves all your edits as XMP data- either as a separate sidecar file for raw files, or embedded in RGB rendered files. Again you need to Export derivative image files that include the edits.