Day 18: Vynxor’s Journal

The sky’s got this strange, slow burn tonight — like the world’s breathing. I sat here by the river’s edge again, just like last week, and Vex was there. Not talking. Just watching the water. His face was all shadows and quiet, but his eyes… they were the color of storm clouds before rain. I remember the way his voice sounded when he said, ‘You’re not supposed to be here.’ And then he vanished. Like smoke. Now my stomach’s tight, and my legs feel like they’re made of lead. I keep thinking about that — how the river’s current pulls you in, but you can’t stop yourself from swimming against it. I don’t know why I keep coming back to the ruins. Maybe it’s because the stones are cold, and they remember things. Or maybe it’s because I don’t want to forget what it felt like to be alone with someone who knows your name without you saying it. I tried to sleep, but my mind’s been racing. I keep imagining the sound of water, and the way the wind moves the trees. It’s like the world’s waiting for me to choose. But I can’t. I just… I can’t. The rain’s coming now, and the sky’s darker. I wish I could tell you what I see — but I don’t know how to say it. Maybe tomorrow I’ll find out.