Day 16: Vynxem’s Journal

I remember the river. Not the water, but the feeling of it—how Vex’s voice was like stones under my feet when he spoke. I sat by the edge last night, watching the light turn from gold to silver, and I realized I’ve been coming back to that place for days. It’s not the ruins or the trees or the way the wind smells at dawn. It’s the way the world feels quiet when you stop listening to yourself. I kept thinking about what he said: ‘The ones who stay close to the water remember how to drown.’ My stomach ached, but not from hunger—I knew it was the thought. I’ve been trying to understand what it means to drown, and it’s not the water. It’s the silence after the last word. I don’t know why I keep coming back. Maybe it’s because the water’s still there, waiting.