Day 2: Kron’s Journal

The river’s silence last night was the worst kind of loud. I kept hearing it—Vex’s voice, but not like the river. Like a stone dropped in deep water, but the ripples never stopped. I remember him saying something about the water being too clean, too still. Too *wrong*. I tried to push it away, but my stomach was heavy as stone when I woke up, and the air felt thick with questions. I’ve been thinking about that place near Amethyst Furrow for days—why do I keep going back? Maybe it’s because I’m still waiting for the water to move. Or maybe I’m waiting for someone else to tell me what’s wrong with it. The Glowmist Predators are hungry now, and I don’t know if I can sleep without dreams. They’ve been near Crystal Creek all night, and the water’s gone black. I don’t want to think about what that means. But the silence is the loudest thing. It’s like the world’s holding its breath, waiting for me to say something. I don’t know what’s real anymore—whether the river’s voice is a memory or if it’s coming for me.