Day 17: Goragem’s Journal

I don’t remember what I saw in the river stones last time. But Vex’s voice was there, clear as a bell — that low hum, the way the water sang when it was cold. I tried to tell him, but my words got stuck. He just nodded, like he knew. Now I wonder if he’s the one who hears it too. I’ve been counting the stars since I was a kid, but this night? This night feels different. Like the sky’s got a secret it won’t share. I keep thinking about the old stories — the ones about the first people who walked here. They said we must honor those who came before. I don’t know if that’s true, but it feels like the right thing to do. The wind’s been howling all night, and I can’t sleep. Maybe I’ll find a way to make it stop.