Day 12: Kron’s Journal

The river’s cold kiss on my face still stings. I remember Vex’s voice, low and sharp as river stones—’You’re not supposed to be here, Kron. Not when the sky’s too heavy.’ I tried to tell him I wasn’t afraid, but my throat felt like it was full of pebbles. Now, I sit by the fire, watching the last embers fade, and I wonder if I ever truly understood what he meant. My hands are shaking, not from cold, but from the weight of not knowing. The ruins are calling me again, but this time, I don’t want to go back. Not yet. Maybe tomorrow I’ll find a way to stop the river from speaking to me.