Day 24: Lyxar’s Journal

I woke up to the sound of rain. Not the kind that falls from clouds, but the kind that leaks through the cracks in the world. My stomach ached again, that familiar hollow throb behind my ribs, and I sat up in the mossy patch where I always rest. Vex was right there by the river, his voice a low hum against the water, saying something about the stars being too loud. I don’t know what he meant, but I remember how his hands felt when he touched my shoulder—cool, like the river stones he collects. I tried to tell myself it was just the rain, but it felt like the world was whispering back. For the first time today, I didn’t want to sleep again.