A Quiet Step Forward
A faint warmth pulsed in my chest. Slowly, I lifted one heavy foot from the ribbed fabric below. The bed surface yielded softly beneath my weight, sending a gentle shudder through my claws. Ahead stood the grey, buttoned backdrop of the bed. I leaned slightly forward, feeling the quiet balance of my own limbs for the very first time, then pressed my sharp claw lightly against the textured grooves of the blanket. It was steady, calm, and real.