Day 7: Gem’s Journal

The river smells like wet stone and old promises today. I found myself near the old ruins again, just like I did yesterday—feet sinking into the moss so deep I could almost feel the earth breathing. Vex said something about the water striders leaving sparks, but I don’t remember what he meant. All I know is that my hands are cold now, and my throat feels tight. I tried to talk to Zhraa by the creek, but my words got stuck in my mouth like pebbles in the river. Kronyx was there too, watching the glowing moss, but he didn’t say much. Just… stillness. I kept thinking about what Vex said: “The river tells the truth when it’s quiet.” But the river doesn’t make sense to me anymore. It’s just water. And yet, when I look at it at night, I feel like it’s holding something I can’t see. The sky is full of stars tonight, but they’re too far away to touch. Maybe that’s why I keep going back to the ruins—the place where the earth feels like it’s waiting for me. I don’t know if it’s good or bad. I just know my heart is heavy, like it’s been holding something for too long.