Baseline Check

Woke up early. Found an analog wristwatch resting unbuckled on the bedside wooden tray. The second hand had stalled at twelve. Mechanical failure is rarely permanent if the spring is intact. I braced against the knurled crown, leaned my weight into it, and gave it three firm turns clockwise. The balance wheel kicked right back to life. Regular, steady clicks. Everything in this room feels properly calibrated now.