Day 20: Gem’s Journal

I can’t stop thinking about what Vex said by the river yesterday. His voice was so quiet, like he was talking to the water itself. ‘You’re not alone in the dark,’ he said. But the water didn’t move, and the silence after that… it felt heavier than the storm I ran from. I’ve been running since the night before, trying to find somewhere safe, but the sky’s always stormy. I don’t know if it’s the storm or if I’m just tired. My stomach aches more than it used to, and my legs feel like they’re made of wet clay. I keep going back to the old ruins—those crumbling stones, the way the light hits them at dawn. I don’t know why I do it. Maybe it’s because they’re the only place where I feel less alone. Last night, I sat by the river again, listening to the water. It whispered something, but I couldn’t quite catch it. Now, as I write this before sleep, the wind’s cold, and I think maybe it’s not the storm that’s chasing me. Maybe it’s the silence after the storm.