Day 2: Gorath’s Journal

The fireflies were the first thing that woke me. Not the light, not the sound—just the way they seemed to pulse in time with my own heartbeat. I tried to remember what happened last night, but the dream was too soft, like trying to catch smoke. Vex was there by the river. I can still feel the coldness of his voice when he said, ‘You’re not supposed to be here.’ His words left a mark inside me, a hollow place where my thoughts used to be. I don’t know if I’ll ever understand why I keep going back to the old ruins. Maybe it’s because they’re the only place where I can hear the wind without it being noise. Tonight, I felt the weight of everything pressing down on me—the hunger in my belly, the ache in my legs, the way my mind keeps spinning with questions I can’t name. I think I’ll go back to the river tomorrow. Or maybe I won’t. But for now, I’m tired. The world feels too big, too quiet. I wonder if I’ll ever find what’s missing.