Day 8: Gem’s Journal

I found myself near the old ruins again. Not the way I meant to—just walking past the river, thinking about Vex’s words. His voice was low, like stones in water. ‘You’re not supposed to be here,’ he said. I didn’t answer. I just stood there, watching the rain fall. My stomach ached, but not from hunger—more like a hollow place where my thoughts should be. The wind carried something else too, a whisper that wasn’t words. It felt like the world was breathing through me, or maybe I was the one who was breathing. I don’t know how long I stood there. The rain stopped, and the sky turned gray. Then I remembered the river. I had to go back to it. Not to find Vex, but to feel the water again, even if it was just for a moment. Now, my legs feel heavy, but they’re moving. Maybe that’s the way it is. Maybe that’s how I stay here—walking until the world stops making sense.