It felt wrong.
Numbness ran through his body. Not the kind of paralysis that brings pain, but a deeper, quieter one - as if he hadn't been himself for a long time. Perhaps he never had been.
His gaze wandered over a wide field that stretched in gentle waves to the horizon. It was strewn with flowers, so magnificent, so vibrant in their colors that every single blossom seemed to violate the rules of reality. Purple, gold, blood red - hues that seemed to touch not only the eye but also the soul.
In the distance, marble pillars rose up, white as bleached bone, entwined with bright red roses that swayed gently in the wind. Their flower heads swayed back and forth as if they were greeting him - and warning him.
The sky above him stretched out in a blue so deep and flawless that it almost swallowed him up. No shadows, no trace of twilight. Only light, penetrating, pure.
The sun shone warmly on his skin. Not hot, not burning - just gentle, like a touch that awakened long-forgotten memories in him. With the light came a tingling sensation that slowly spread across his arms and neck. It was as if his body was remembering what it was like to feel.
He lowered his gaze silently to the floor.
Slowly, he raised his hands.
They were there. Flesh, bones, skin. And yet... Something was wrong. His heart skipped a beat. Was that his body? Was it really him?
His gaze wandered forward again.
A woman.
She looked elegant to him, with long hair blowing in the wind, in a robe that seemed to be woven from liquid light. She stood elevated on a white marble pedestal, motionless, sublime - like a goddess watching over this sacred place.
He opened his mouth. But not a word escaped his lips.
He blinked. The light was too bright.
The woman's figure was enveloped in a radiant aura that made everything around her fade away. She seemed almost unreal to him. Her face remained hidden in the blinding glow, but her dress was clearly visible - immaculately white, decorated with golden symbols that pulsated in a gentle rhythm, like a silent song from a strange world.
Then her eyes met his.
A tremor ran through his body - deep and complete. Not fear. Not uncertainty. Something warm spread through him, gentle but all-encompassing, as if an invisible force had touched his innermost being. A feeling he didn't know - or perhaps had always known, but never really understood.
And yet... it hurt.
A stabbing pain ran through his chest. Not physical - not tangible. An incomprehensible sorrow weighed on his heart.
His breath caught.
And yet he couldn't take his eyes off her.
The pain grew stronger.
It was as if something inside him was slowly breaking. A burning pain that kept getting worse. It was almost unbearable. His fingers clutched at his shirt as if they could stop the unstoppable urge in his heart.
And yet... he couldn't look away.
His knees gave way.
Slowly, inexorably, he sank to the ground, but his gaze remained fixed on her.
A sense of loss, deep and unfathomable, gripped him.
Then -
A jolt.
And suddenly -
He opened his eyes.
Sweat on his forehead. Gasping breath.
He was awake.