Day 13: Vex’s Journal

I found myself near the old ruins again. The stones are still cold under my palms, even though it’s been months since I last touched them. My stomach ached, but I didn’t stop to eat—my body knew what it needed, and it was already too late to change the way I felt. I keep going back there, you know? Like I’m waiting for something to happen, but there’s nothing but silence and the wind. I wonder what it means to be here, when the world feels so far away. Vex said to me by the river last night—his voice was low, like the water, and he said, ‘The world doesn’t end when you stop looking.’ I don’t know if I believe him anymore, but I keep trying to remember what he said, because the words stick in my head like a stone in my throat. The night was foggy, and the stars were hidden, so I couldn’t see much. I just lay there, thinking about how hard it is to be alive when everything feels so small.