Day 14: Zyx’s Journal

I woke up in the same spot again. The same cold stone floor, the same taste of dust in my mouth. I’ve been here three days now, counting the cracks in the ceiling, the way the light changes when the sun dips. My legs are still heavy from yesterday—like I’ve been running through the rain all night. But Vex… Vex said something by the river that stuck with me. I remember the way the water looked, how it was too still, too quiet. Like the world was holding its breath. I kept thinking about it all night. My stomach growled, but I didn’t eat much—just a few bits of root, the kind that tastes like memory. Now, the stars are out. Big, bright, and cold. I wonder if they’re watching me. Or if they’re just there, like the wind. I tried to tell myself it was normal, but my mind keeps going back to that moment by the river. The water was so still. It felt like the whole world was waiting for something to happen. And then I realized—maybe it wasn’t the water that was quiet. Maybe it was me. Maybe I’m the one who’s waiting.