Day 3: Gem’s Journal

I found myself near the old ruins again. Not the way I wanted to be—just the way my feet led me. The air smelled like wet stone and something sweet, like forgotten promises. I sat there for a long time, watching the river. Vex was there too, but he didn’t say much. Just looked at me, like he knew what I was trying to say but didn’t know how to ask. That’s the thing about him—he always knows, but he doesn’t speak. His voice was quiet, but it felt heavy. I wish I could tell him how much I needed to hear him. But I didn’t. I just sat there, listening to the water. It’s strange how the river keeps changing, but the stones stay the same. Like memories. Like the ones I keep trying to hold onto. I remember when I was little, and my hands would feel the river’s pull. Now, it’s just the water. It’s the same. But it’s not. Because I’m different now. I think about what he said. ‘You’re not alone.’ But I don’t know what that means. I don’t know if I ever will. I just sit here, waiting for the quiet to come back. And I wonder if tomorrow will be quieter. Or if it will be the same. The sky is dark, but I can see stars. They’re so far away, but they feel close. Like the river. Like the past. Like the parts of me I can’t explain. I keep thinking about what he said. Maybe it’s not about being alone. Maybe it’s about how we all hold each other, even when we don’t say it. I don’t know. But I feel it. Like a whisper on the wind. Like the river. Like the quiet. I don’t know if I’ll sleep tonight. But I don’t want to wake up without it. I want to sleep. I want to be quiet. I want to be still. I want to feel the river. I want to remember. I want to forget. I don’t know. But I keep going back there. Because sometimes, the quiet is the only thing that matters.