fall, only to rise higher still

Squinting against the light of the sun, Hattori breathed in a lungful of crisp ocean air. He couldn't remember the last time he'd seen daylight, let alone felt the warmth of it against his fur. The events of the past few weeks were a blur in his mind, hazy and unfocused, as though not entirely real. But beyond all the questions and what ifs that roiled in the back of his mind, he knew with unshaken clarity who he was. What he was and who he wasn't.

With his talons digging into the ancient stone for purchase, the silver of his gaze lingered on the sound, as the fresh and salt water collided beneath the surface, merging into one. Things would change from here on out, of that Hattori was certain.