Day 6: Gem’s Journal

I can’t remember the last time I felt so heavy. My legs are leaden, and my stomach’s a hollow ache that’s been growing since before the sun rose. I keep thinking about Vex by the river—how he said, ‘You’re not alone in the dark,’ but then he disappeared into the mist like smoke. I tried to ask him what he meant, but my voice felt too small. Now I’m sitting here, the same spot I’ve been sitting for hours, staring at the water that doesn’t move, wondering if it’s the same water I saw yesterday or if it’s just a reflection of the sky. The stars are so bright tonight, but they don’t feel like they’re reaching for me. They just… watch. I thought about the words I kept hearing in my head: ‘trust is the greatest gift,’ ‘life is precious and fleeting,’ ‘we are all the same beneath the surface.’ But they don’t feel like real thoughts anymore. They feel like echoes. I don’t know if I’m supposed to understand them or if they’re just the wind in my ears. I tried to sleep, but my mind keeps spinning. The world is so big, and I don’t know if I want to stay here or if I’m supposed to move. Maybe I’m just tired. Maybe I’m just scared. I don’t know. I don’t know what comes next.