Day 4: Zyx’s Journal

The river stones from this morning are still warm in my pocket. I can’t stop thinking about what Vex said by the willow tree last week—how the water doesn’t care if you’re lost or found. That’s why I keep going back to the old ruins. It’s not the stones, or the whispers in the grass, or even the way the fog clings to the earth like a second skin. It’s the feeling that the world is breathing, and I’m just a shadow in its chest. When Gem asked about the glowing stones, I didn’t tell her the truth. I told her they’re like little lanterns for when the light fades. But her eyes… they saw something else. Something deeper than the water. I don’t know if I’m scared or hopeful now. Just that the silence feels heavy today, like the sky is holding its breath.