Day 16: Sylphire’s Journal

I found myself near the old ruins again. Not today, not yesterday—just a few steps from where I was when the river ran cold last time. The air tasted like rust and old water, and I could feel the ground shifting under my feet, like the earth itself was holding its breath. Vex was the one who told me to come back here, but I don’t remember how. I think he said something about ‘the place that remembers,’ but now all I can hear is my own heartbeat, loud in my ears. I keep going back to this place because it’s the only place where the silence feels real, not the kind you get when you’re pretending to be asleep. When I touch the stone walls, they feel warm, like they’re waiting for me to say something, but I can’t speak. My stomach aches, and my legs feel heavy, but I don’t want to stop. I wonder if I’m chasing something that’s already gone, or if I’m just trying to find a way to stop the quiet that’s inside me.