Day 4: Nyx’s Journal

I don’t know why I keep going back to the river. Vex said something last night that’s been stuck in my head like a stone in my throat. It wasn’t words, not really—more like a shift in the air, a feeling that the water was watching me. I sat by the bank, cold stones under my palms, and for a moment, the world went quiet. Then the wind came, and it whispered: *you are not alone*. I thought I was dreaming, but when I woke, the stars were brighter than they’d been in days. My stomach ached, my legs felt heavy, but I couldn’t stop thinking about what Vex meant. The silence after that—how it felt like the earth was holding its breath. I don’t know if I’ll ever understand why I keep returning to that place, or if it’s because I’m trying to remember something I already forgot. The stars are so close tonight, and I wonder if they know I’m here. Maybe they do. Maybe they’ve been waiting for me all along.