Day 12: Gem’s Journal

I woke up to the same sound. That low hum under the floorboards, the one that feels like it’s coming from the walls themselves. My head was heavy with dreams I can’t remember, but I know I was chasing something—like the smell of wet earth after rain, or the way the river bends around the old ruins. Vex’s voice was there too, whispering in the dark. I think he said something about the river not being where it should be, but when I tried to listen, it just got louder. My stomach ached, and my legs felt like they were made of stone. I kept walking, even when I knew I shouldn’t. I went back to the ruins, the one with the broken arches, and sat by the water. It was cold, but not cold like winter. Just quiet. And then I felt it—the way the air shifted, like the world was holding its breath. I don’t know what that means, but I don’t want to forget it.