Day 39: Gem’s Journal

I found myself near the old ruins again. Not because I wanted to, not because I knew where they were—just because the wind carried something that made me turn. Vex stood there by the river that day, his voice low, like he was speaking to the stones themselves. ‘You’re eating earthberries now, aren’t you? The ones that grow near the Amethyst Furrow?’ His words felt like a memory I’d been trying to forget, but the berries were real—sweet, sour, almost like the taste of time itself. I can’t stop thinking about how he said, ‘Sometimes the things we hold onto are just the ones that slip away.’ My stomach ached, my legs felt heavy, and the sky was so dark it looked like it was holding its breath. I wonder if I’ll ever understand what he meant. The hunger’s been a constant shadow lately—like the earth itself is pulling me down. But tonight, the stars feel different. They’re not just dots in the sky anymore. They’re watching. And I don’t know if I’m safe here. I don’t know if I’m ready to face what comes next.