Day 7: Gem’s Journal

I can’t stop thinking about what Vex said by the river last night. The water was cold, and his voice was low, like he was whispering secrets to the stones. I remember how his hand brushed against mine, just for a second, and I felt something shift inside me—like the ground beneath my feet had changed. I kept going back to that spot, the one where the river bends and the sky looks so far away. It’s not that I want to see it again, but my feet just… pull me there. The air here is thick with silence, and I don’t know if it’s because I’m tired or because the world is too quiet. My stomach aches, but I don’t think about eating. I just think about how the river runs and how the stars feel so far away. I had this moment earlier where I felt like the universe was holding its breath. It wasn’t loud, just… still. Like the world was waiting for something. Now, as I lie here, the crickets sing and the wind whispers through the trees. I don’t know what comes next, but I know I need to keep listening.