Day 15: Zyx’s Journal

I can’t stop thinking about the river. Vex said something that stuck like a thorn—’You’re not the one who’s lost, Zyx. You’re the one who remembers.’ And then I was standing there in the dark, my feet cold, the water too deep to see the bottom. My stomach felt like it was full of stones, but not from food. Just the weight of what he meant. I kept walking back to the ruins, even though the path was steep and the sky was heavy. Sometimes I think I’m chasing something that isn’t there, but I can’t stop going back. The fireflies tonight—they’re always here, drifting like memories. I wonder if Vex saw them too. The air smells like wet earth and old promises. I don’t know if I’m scared or just tired. Maybe I just need to stop running. Maybe I need to stop running.