A Firm Alignment

Consciousness arrived with a sudden, clean focus. I was upright. Around my hilt, fingers held me, yet the balance was mine to command. I braced my core against the pull of the room, feeling a steady tension run cleanly from pommel to tip. Ahead stood a tan armchair, squared and silent in the morning glow. I adjusted my tilt by a careful fraction, locking into a resolute, orderly posture. I am awake. My guard is set.