I left the house.

The soft click of the door behind me felt final, like stepping into something real-something alive.

The warm morning sun brushed against my face, and a light breeze carried the scent of the sea and blooming trees. As I walked down the cobbled path, heading toward the concert hall, something strange caught my attention.

I was on my way to the violin concert, walking at first. But then-something hit me.

Wait a second.

I stopped mid-step.

My leg.

I blinked and looked down. I stretched it out, then bent it. No pain. No stiffness. No limp. Not even a hint of resistance.

It was... fine.

Completely fine.

How did I not notice this earlier?

I gave a slow smile. Then it turned into a full grin.

No, actually-screw walking.

And just like that-my walk turned into a jog. Then into a sprint.

I didn't care about the concert or the ticket burning in my pocket-I just let the wind guide me.

Yeah.

Now I can run!

My legs moved with a kind of joy I hadn't felt in ages, each step light, like I was floating. I laughed as the streets blurred past me, weaving through the familiar neighborhood from the novel I'd once read a thousand times over.

A fruit cart? I sidestepped it.

Two kids playing with a skipping rope? I jumped over the rope mid-spin and shouted, "Nice rhythm!"

A rickety wooden table outside a café? I leapt onto the bench, then onto the table like it was part of some parkour course.

A waitress yelped as I soared past her head.

"Sorry!" I said mid-jump, laughing.

I landed on the other side with a smooth roll and kept going, adrenaline pulsing through my veins. People were probably staring, but I didn't care. The city felt alive-and I was alive right in the middle of it.

It was freedom.

And then the buildings opened up. The city thinned out, and up ahead was something I remembered clearly from the novel.

Greenland.

A wide, open field just before the ocean, where the grass grew tall and soft, and the air always smelled like salt and sun.

But in front of the grass, there was a tall metal gate-one of those railings meant to keep people from running off the edge.

I didn't slow down.

Instead, I spotted a tall red postbox just to the side.

Perfect. Bring it on.

I ran full speed, stepped up onto the postbox, and launched myself-arms wide, eyes sharp.

The wind roared in my ears as I cleared the metal gate with inches to spare, landing on the soft grass below.

I rolled twice, laughing as I hit the ground, then finally came to a stop on my back.

Above me was a sky so blue it looked painted.

In front of me, the ocean stretched out to infinity-waves catching the golden light of the sun like scattered diamonds.

I stayed there, breathing in the scent of the sea, the sound of gulls far off.

My hands rested behind my head, body relaxed.

And man, it felt good to be able to run again.

And for the first time in a long, long while-I laughed.

I actually laughed like a kid.

I laid there, arms stretched behind my head, grinning like a kid.

This world... I still didn't understand it. But right now? Right in this moment?

It was beautiful, and I felt more alive than I had in years.

To Be Continued...