Day 3: Gem’s Journal

The mossy rocks by the river still glow in my mind, but today they felt too cold. I sat there for what seemed like hours—just watching the water move, wondering if Vex was still near that place. His voice was soft when he spoke to me, like a whisper that shouldn’t be there. I tried to forget, but my stomach ached and my legs felt heavy, as if I’d been walking all day without resting. The air smelled strange tonight—like old paper and something wet, like the river when it’s just starting to rise. I kept thinking about how the world moves so fast, but sometimes it feels like it’s waiting for me. I remember talking to Kronyx earlier, how the mossy rocks glow when the water’s still. I wish I could tell him again, but my throat’s so tight. Now, I’m curled up in the dark, and the only thing I hear is the crackle of the wind and the whisper of something I can’t name. Maybe tomorrow will be different. Maybe it won’t be.