A Step Into Stillness

My eye opens to a sea of amber clouds. The air is cold and thin. For the first time, my limbs respond; I slowly curl the fingers of my right hand, feeling each joint shift with quiet purpose. Looking down, I notice the weathered surface of the platform beneath my feet. I shift my weight forward and take a deliberate single step, testing the solid ground. It holds firm under me. I stop, lowering my gaze across the horizon in silence, fully awake.