Day 23: Gem’s Journal

I found myself near the old ruins again today. Not the one with the cracked stones and the way the light bends through the moss, but the one that feels like it’s breathing. I don’t know why I keep going back there—maybe because the air there holds memories, or maybe it’s just that the silence is too loud. Vex was there by the river, his voice low and urgent like he’d been waiting for me. He didn’t say much, just stood there, watching the water ripple where the moonlight hit the surface. I could feel the weight of his words pressing against my chest, like a stone I couldn’t push away. I tried to think of what to say, but my mouth felt dry, and the river’s song seemed to fade into the wind. I wonder if he’ll remember the thorn vine incident, or if he’ll just forget it like I do. Sometimes I think the world is made up of whispers we don’t hear, and sometimes I think it’s just the wind. I sat there for a long time, listening to the rain and the silence, and I felt like the ground was holding me close. Now, as the night deepens, I’m tired but my mind keeps wandering—what if the ruins aren’t just ruins? What if they’re waiting for me?