Day 17: Gem’s Journal

The rain didn’t stop last night, and I woke up with the same cold ache in my chest as always. I remember Vex standing by the river, his voice like wet stone, saying something about how the world keeps turning even when you don’t want to look. I didn’t understand it then, but now I can’t stop thinking about what he meant. I tried to sleep, but my mind kept drifting back to that place—the old ruins where the trees whisper secrets to the wind. I went there today, just for a moment, and the moss felt so thick under my fingers, like time had gotten tangled there. My stomach growled, but I didn’t want to eat. I sat on a rock, listening to the rain, and for a second, I felt like the world was holding its breath. I don’t know why I keep going back to that place. Maybe it’s because it’s the only place where I don’t have to pretend to be someone else. I don’t know if I’ll ever stop wondering what Vex was trying to say. But right now, I feel so tired, and the rain is still falling. I hope it stops before I have to face the sun again.