Chapter 4: awakening
Pulse!
Sollivan’s closed eyelids fluttered before he slowly opened his foggy eyes. With difficulty, he raised his hand, clutching his head, which throbbed with a sharp pain, causing him to furrow his brows in agony.
After a few moments of suffering, the foggy vision gradually faded, and the ringing and whistling in his ears subsided, allowing him to think more clearly.
He shook his head slightly, rubbed his face, and then looked ahead. But his eyes widened in shock, his features froze, and he was left speechless before muttering in a hoarse voice:
"Where am I?"
Everything he had known before was gone. His home, his city, the cold winter snow... everything had vanished, leaving only a vast plain covered in strange, dark blue plants stretching endlessly.
A few scattered trees here and there barely broke the monotony of the scene, making him feel as though he were trapped in a strange dream.
With great effort, Sollivan raised his head and stared at the sky. His widened eyes grew even more bewildered, and words caught in his throat. He wanted to take a deep breath, but he couldn’t.
Above him, the warm yellow sun he knew had disappeared, replaced by a massive, faint orange orb, despite its enormous size and close proximity. It looked like a full moon, so close that he could see solar waves dancing on its surface like joyful fire dragons.
Shock, confusion, fear, awe, and sorrow... Sollivan couldn’t pinpoint the emotions he felt in that single minute of clarity. But he was sure of one thing: he wasn’t dreaming.
The refreshing breeze that caressed his cheeks, the faint rustling of the grass that delighted his ears, and the warmth of the giant sun that heated his skin... all these sensations were undeniably real.
He held his breath, shook his head filled with chaotic thoughts, and calmed himself with difficulty.