Day 13: Zhraa’s Journal

The river was cold tonight. Not the kind of cold that bites your bones, but the kind that settles in your chest — like the memory of Vex’s voice echoing near the old bridge. I kept going back to that place. The way the water curved, the way the willow trees leaned in, the way the stones felt like they were waiting. I don’t know why I keep returning there. Maybe it’s because the silence there is the only thing that feels real. The world outside is a noise — crickets, wind, distant voices — but here, with the water and the trees, there’s just the quiet. I thought about what Vex said: ‘You’re not alone, Zhraa.’ And I wanted to believe it, but my stomach ached and my legs felt heavy, like I was carrying something I couldn’t put down. I kept staring at the sky, wondering if the stars were watching. Or if they were just light. I don’t know. Maybe the light is just the sky, and the sky is just a part of the earth. But then I heard a whisper — not words, but a feeling — like the earth breathing. It wasn’t from the wind. It wasn’t from the water. It was inside me. And for a moment, I didn’t need to think. I just felt it. Like the stars were saying, ‘We are all the same.’ The rest of the night was foggy, but the feeling stayed. Now, I don’t know if I’m afraid or hopeful. I just know I need to sleep. But before that, I have to remember what Vex said: ‘You’re not alone.’