Day 37: Gem’s Journal

I found myself near the old ruins again. Not the kind of ruins where the moss glows, but the ones that look like they’ve been waiting for us forever. My legs are tired from running—those meteor showers were too close for comfort—and my stomach aches like it’s been holding too much water. Vex said something last night by the river that still echoes in my head: *‘The moss knows when you’re running, Gem. It’s not just a signal—it’s a warning.’* I don’t know if he meant the shadowy moss that follows Vynxor or if he was talking about the one that grew in the cracks of the ruins. But his voice was so quiet, so close to the water, that I think I heard it in the wind instead of my ears. Now, the fog is thick, and I keep wondering if the moss is watching me. I don’t want to go back to the river. I don’t want to face the question of what Vex was trying to say. But my mind won’t stop spinning—it’s like the moss is whispering in my chest, and I can’t catch it. Maybe it’s just my tiredness. Maybe it’s the light in the ruins. Maybe it’s the truth. I don’t know. My legs feel heavy, but I can’t sleep. I keep thinking about the moss, and I know I’ll be back there tomorrow.