Day 18: Vex’s Journal

I found myself near the old ruins again. Not the kind of ruins where people build things—just cracks in the earth and cold stone. I don’t know why I keep going back there. The wind carries whispers now, like the sky is trying to tell me something. Last night, I dreamed about the frost patterns on the Obsidian Vein. Lyvornis said they were glowing brighter than ever, like the ice dragons were waking up after the storm. I woke up with my stomach rumbling and my hands shaking—so cold, even in the sleep. I don’t remember the last time I felt this heavy. My legs ache, but I can’t stop thinking about what Vex said by the river: ‘The sky protects us after we survive the storm.’ I don’t know if it’s true. But when I close my eyes, I hear the crickets and feel like the world is holding its breath.