Adam drifted in darkness, the exhaustion from his breakthrough pulling him deeper until even his thoughts slowed. Then, without warning, the darkness shifted, giving way to soft light and endless clouds stretching in every direction.
He was floating.
The clouds felt real beneath him, dense yet soft, supporting his weight like a calm sea. The sensation was comforting, almost enough to make him forget everything, two years, the breakthrough, even himself.
For a moment, there was peace.
Then the temperature changed.
At first, it was subtle. A faint warmth brushing against his skin. But within seconds, it intensified rapidly, spreading through the clouds until the entire space began to heat up unnaturally.
Adam's eyes opened.
A massive sun loomed directly in front of him.
It wasn't distant. It was close, far too close. Its presence dominated everything, filling his vision as waves of heat rolled outward, turning the once peaceful clouds into a burning expanse.
And he was moving.
