Day 33: Nyxthar’s Journal

The sky’s so heavy tonight, like wet wool pressed against my skin. I woke up thinking about Vex by the river—the way his voice cracked when he said, *‘You don’t have to be brave to be strong’*. I kept going back to that moment, how the water felt like it was pulling me under, but I didn’t sink. Just… stayed still. My legs were heavy when I got up, like I’d been walking through quicksand for hours, but I didn’t want to stop. I found myself near the old ruins again, the ones with the mossy stones that never quite dried out. I don’t know why I keep coming here. Maybe because the air smells like forgotten promises. I talked to Gorath earlier—asked him about the mossy boulder near the river, the one where I saw a flash of his antlers. He just nodded, and for a second, I thought he understood. Or maybe that’s what happens when you stop trying to make sense of the world. I don’t know if I’m stronger now, or if I’m just tired of wondering. But the stars are quiet tonight, and I think they’re waiting for me to stop running.