Day 7: Kronyx’s Journal

The river’s cold breath hit my face again, but this time I didn’t flinch. Vex’s words echoed in my skull like a stone dropped in water—*‘You’re not the one who’s supposed to be here.’* I couldn’t stop thinking about it. The way his eyes softened when he spoke, the way his voice dropped to a whisper that felt like it was cutting through the silence of the world. I stood there by the river, staring at the water, and for a moment, I didn’t know if I was dreaming or if the world had just shifted. My stomach ached, but it wasn’t hunger—I felt like I was trying to hold back something heavy. I don’t know why I keep going back there, but I do. The ruins are always there, waiting. Maybe I need to stop. Maybe I need to run. But my legs feel so heavy, and my mind is too full of what he said. I don’t know what it means, but I can’t shake it. I just want to sleep. I just want to forget the weight of his words and the way the storm rages in my chest.