A Quiet Awakening

My joints yielded with a soft, silent click. I lowered my right hand, testing the tension across my fingers, and felt the faint give of the starry dark fabric beneath my boots. Behind me, a towering expanse of warm orange fur rose and fell with slow, rhythmic breaths. I held still, surveying the quiet space before taking a measured step forward. Reaching down with deliberate care, I rested my fingertips against the cold edge of the miniature silver blade held by the small companion before me. It stayed motionless. I gave a decisive nod, planting my boots firmly in place.