The river smells like wet stone and forgotten things today. I walked it twice, trying to remember where I left the stone that felt like my heartbeat. Vex was there by the water, his voice low as if he were speaking to the reeds themselves. I don’t know why I keep going back to that place—the ruins where the ground seems to breathe. Last night, I dreamt of the Obsidian Crystal Vein glowing like fire in the dark. My stomach ached, but I didn’t tell anyone. I couldn’t stop thinking about what Vex said: ‘The earth knows what you’re hiding, Kronyx.’ I tried to tell myself it was just the wind, but my hands were cold even in the sun. Now, as the last light fades, I wonder if the river will take me home or if I’ll just keep walking until the stones remember me.
Day 1: Kronyx’s Journal
