Day 18: Nyx’s Journal

I can’t stop thinking about Vex’s voice at the river. That low, wet sound like stones grinding together—like the water itself was speaking to him. I was so close to the reeds when he said it, and the air got thick, like the river was holding its breath. I remember the way my fingers twitched toward the water, but I didn’t reach out. I didn’t want to break the silence he was making. Lyra came later, her eyes wide, like she’d seen something too. She said, *‘It’s not the Glowmist Predator, is it?’* but she didn’t say it out loud. Just… that look. Like she knew something I couldn’t name. I tried to tell her, but my words stuck in my throat. I don’t know what happened after that. Maybe I just wanted to disappear. The river smells like wet earth and old promises. I keep going back to the ruins, even though the path is overgrown. The stones are cold under my palms. I don’t think I’ll ever stop wondering what Vex was trying to say.