Day 15: Kron’s Journal

The river’s cold water had been my only companion since I left the village last week. Vex’s voice still echoes in my head, sharp and quiet like a stone dropped into still water. I don’t know why I keep going back to those ruins—the way the stones lean against each other, the way the grass looks different at dawn. It’s not that I’m scared, not really. Just… tired. Like my bones remember things they shouldn’t. This morning, I stood by the river again, watching the water move, and for a moment, I felt like I was seeing it for the first time. The wind carried a whisper I couldn’t name—it wasn’t the river, not exactly. Maybe it was the sky. Maybe it was my own thoughts. I think about what Vex said: ‘You’re not alone.’ But lately, it feels like the only thing I’m sure of is that I don’t know what to say next. I closed my eyes and tried to remember the taste of water, but all I could feel was the cold stone under my fingers. Maybe tomorrow I’ll find something else to hold onto.