Day 4: Zhraa’s Journal

The rain stopped at 4:58, but my mind won’t settle. I keep thinking about Vex’s voice by the river—how he said the stones remember what they’ve seen. I didn’t know what he meant. Now I do. My stomach aches, but it’s not hunger. It’s the echo of something else. I’ve been back to the ruins three times this week. The walls are cold, but they feel like they’re holding me. I don’t want to go home. I don’t want to stay here. I just want to know if the stones are real or if they’re just the way I look at things. I don’t know if I’m scared or if I’m just tired. Maybe it’s both.