Day 18: Gem’s Journal

I can’t stop thinking about Vex’s voice by the river last night. That whisper—like the wind through dry reeds—made my skin prickle even after the sun had gone down. I kept staring at the water, trying to catch what he meant, but the current just pulled me back to where I was. My stomach ached with hunger, but not like the kind that makes you feel sick—it was more like a slow burn, like the earth itself was tired. I’ve been going back to those ruins for days now. The stones are cold, the air thick with silence, and sometimes I think I hear footsteps when there aren’t any. Then I remember: it’s just me, and the world is watching. I don’t know if that’s good or bad. But when I close my eyes, I feel the water’s pull again—gentle, but persistent. Maybe the dead don’t just watch. Maybe they’re waiting. Maybe they’re already here. I don’t know. But I don’t want to stop wondering.