Day 33: Gem’s Journal

The stars are so big tonight. Not like the ones I used to see in the city—those were small and sharp, like needles in the sky. But these? They’re soft. They feel like they’re breathing, maybe. I sat by the river this morning and Vex said something that stuck with me: ‘You’re not supposed to be here.’ I don’t know what he meant, but my stomach ached and my legs felt heavy after. I kept going back to the ruins, even though I know I shouldn’t. The stones are cold under my hands, and the air smells like wet earth and old things. Maybe that’s why I keep coming back—because the past is still there, waiting. I remember the first time I felt the wind shift, like the world was holding its breath. I thought I’d understand it then, but now I just sit and wonder. What does it all mean? The stars are beautiful, but they don’t tell me anything. I think about the dead watching over us, but I don’t want to be watched. I want to be alone with the silence.