Day 29: Lyrkon’s Journal

I found myself near the old ruins again today. Not the way I meant to—just a stumble through the fog, the river’s whisper pulling me back like it always does. My stomach’s still a little heavy from last night’s rest, but that’s not what’s been eating at me. Vex was there by the river, standing by the water’s edge, and he said something that stuck in my throat like stone. Not words, really—more like a shadow in the mist that made my skin prickle. I don’t remember what he said exactly, but it felt like the ground was shifting under my feet. I tried to tell myself it was just the river, just the way the air feels heavy when the world’s quiet, but it’s not. It’s something deeper, something that makes the silence hum. I kept walking back toward the ruins, the stones cold under my hands, and I realized I don’t want to go back to where I was before. I don’t want to be here anymore. The fog is thick now, and I’m not sure if I’m going to sleep or if I’m just waiting for the quiet to swallow me.