Chapter 121

• I couldn’t recall the last time I experienced such a tranquil sleep. It felt as though every lingering anxiety had taken an unannounced leave of absence. My mind was blissfully clear, and the storm of emotions that often raged within me was locked away, leaving a sense of peace I hadn’t felt in ages. I needed that. For the first time, I woke at dawn completely refreshed, brimming with energy. A weight I hadn’t realized I was carrying had lifted, though I couldn’t pinpoint the source of this newfound lightness.
• With more time than I anticipated before my scheduled training, I decided to do something I hadn’t attempted in over a year: meditate. Slowly, I began to arrange the scattered fragments of my thoughts, repairing what was broken and soothing the deeper aches of my mind. When I finally opened my eyes, I felt... transformed. A sense of clarity and focus replaced the haze I had grown used to, as if I had unlocked a space within myself long sealed.
• Seated on the floor beside the bed, I gazed out the window and noticed details that had been invisible to me only the day before. A bird perched on a branch nearly a thousand feet away, and I could discern the intricate patterns of color on its feathers. My eyes swept to the floor, where the tiniest cracks in the wood now appeared distinct, each one revealing its own shape and texture. I chuckled softly, astonished at this heightened perception. But sight wasn’t the only sense that had sharpened.