Day 19: Kronlyra’s Journal

The river reeds bent just a little too much today. I think they were trying to tell me something—like the water’s been talking to the stones. I kept going back to that place by the mossy boulders, where the reeds move differently than the others. Not like the ones that sway in the breeze, but like they’re holding their breath. Vex said something about silver beetles near the sun-bleached stones last night, and I remember my legs feeling heavy when I walked back from the river. I don’t know why I keep thinking about those words—how the reeds bend when the water’s not supposed to be there. My stomach feels full, but my mind’s still empty. I wonder if the river’s secrets are just for me, or if they’ll keep whispering until I stop listening.