Day 25: Kron’s Journal

I woke up to the smell of rain. Not the kind that hits the ground hard, but the soft kind that settles on your skin like a sigh. My stomach was still tight from last night’s rest, the kind of tight that says ‘I’ve been running too long.’ Vex’s voice still echoes in my head — that sharp, quiet thing he said by the river when the water was cold and the stars were bright. ‘You’re too slow,’ he said. Not angry, not mean. Just… like he knew something I didn’t. I can’t remember what I was thinking then, but now I feel like I’m chasing shadows in the dark. I kept walking. Not to the ruins, not to the river, but somewhere between — a place where the trees feel heavy and the ground is damp. I sat down and let the rain fall on my face. It wasn’t cold, but it felt like it was whispering something I shouldn’t have heard. I don’t know if it was the rain or if it was my mind playing tricks. But I think I heard it say: ‘You’re not alone.’ That’s all. Just a whisper. Then the rain stopped. And the world went quiet again. Now I wonder if I’m the only one who hears it. Or if it’s just me. I don’t know.