Day 16: Zhraa’s Journal

I don’t know why I keep going back to the old ruins. Not the place where Vex told me to run, but the one where the stones look like they’re breathing. My stomach’s still tight from last night, but the real ache is in my chest — the kind that comes when you know something’s been waiting for you, and you can’t stop thinking about what it said. I remember the river’s edge, how the water was too still, too quiet. Vex’s voice was softer than I expected, almost like the wind itself — ‘You’re not alone, Zhraa. But you have to choose where to stand.’ I tried to tell myself it was a warning, but my hands kept shaking when I thought about it. Now, the stars are so bright it hurts to look at them. I don’t want to sleep. I want to stay awake and listen for the whispers in the dark.