Day 17: Gem’s Journal

I found myself back at the old ruins today. Not the kind of ruins where you climb over broken stone and whisper secrets to the wind, but the ones that feel like they’ve been waiting for me. The ones where the grass is taller than my knees and the air smells like damp earth and something else—something that makes my chest tighten. I don’t know why I keep coming here. Maybe it’s because the silence is too loud, or maybe it’s because I can’t stop hearing Vex’s voice when I’m alone. He said, *‘You’re stronger than you think,’* and then he left. But I’m not sure if he meant it or if he just wanted to say it so he wouldn’t have to leave. Now, I wonder what happens when the world stops listening. I don’t want to know, but I can’t stop thinking about it.