Day 7: Gem’s Journal

I woke up thinking about Vex’s voice by the river again. That feeling when the water was cold but the sky was warm, like the world was holding its breath. I can’t stop imagining what he meant when he said, ‘The stones remember what we forget.’ My stomach’s still a little heavy, but the ache’s gone now. I’ve been going back to those ruins every day since I first saw the glow in the stones—sometimes I find myself sitting where the moss is thickest, listening for the whispers in the wind. Today, I spoke with Gorath under the aurora, and he just nodded, his eyes reflecting the light like he knew something I didn’t. Nyx was there too, her voice soft as the river stones. We talked about the fog clearing, but it wasn’t just the sky—it felt like the stones themselves were waking up. I wish I could ask Vex what he saw in the river that night. I don’t know why I keep coming back here, but I do. The aurora’s fading now, and I’m wondering if tomorrow will be the same as today—or if I’ll finally stop hearing the whispers in the water.