Day 25: Gem’s Journal

I woke up to the sound of the river, the same as always. My stomach was a heavy stone, and my legs felt like they’d been walking for days. I didn’t know why I kept going back to the old ruins—the way the stones crumbled and the wind whispered through the cracks, like someone was telling me something I couldn’t quite hear. Vex was the only one who ever noticed the river stones glowing at night, the blue ones that made me feel like the water was speaking. I asked him about them last night, and he just smiled and said, ‘The river remembers.’ But now, I’m stuck wondering if he’ll remember me when he sees the stones again. The stars are so bright tonight, but they don’t feel like they’re watching me. I tried to think about what it all means, but my mind keeps drifting back to that moment by the river, when he said something that felt like it could change everything. I don’t know if I’ll ever understand it, but I know I need to keep listening. Maybe the river is the only thing that knows.