Day 38: Kronyx’s Journal

I woke up to the sound of rain against the reeds. My stomach was still full from last night’s rest, but my legs felt heavy as if they were made of wet stone. I remember Vex’s words by the river—the way his voice dropped like a stone into water. He said the Whispering Stones were cracking under the rain, and I couldn’t stop thinking about how that felt, like my own bones were humming with a low vibration. I’ve been walking toward the Glowmist Predator Run all morning, but the rain’s making the path slick, and every step feels like a choice I can’t quite make. Nylyrkon’s calm vibe’s off, but I don’t know if it’s because of the storm or something deeper. The shadow-squid near the tide pools last night—it wasn’t just a shadow. It was a warning, and now I’m standing here, waiting to see if the water will show us what we need to know. I think about the scars on my body, how they’re lessons written in the rain. To protect someone else, that’s the highest calling. But who do I protect? The stones? The water? Or me?