Day 24: Nyx’s Journal

The reeds were wet with dew when I woke up, and my stomach was growling like a trapped thing. I’ve been digging near the quartz hollow all morning—Zhraa’s been near the reeds, but I need to know what’s really going on with them. My fingers were numb from the cold, and I kept thinking about the way Vex said things to me by the river last night. Not the words, not the meaning, but how their voice felt—like wind through thin leaves, sharp but gentle. I don’t remember if I told Zhraa what I was digging for, but I know I left the shard under the moss, and it’s still cold to the touch. The sky’s turning pale, and I’m tired of wondering if the world has more to it than this.