Damon awoke without any sense of transition.
There was no interrupted dream. There was no slow recovery of consciousness that normally accompanies a sleeping body. One instant there was darkness.
The next, there was only white.
Absolute white.
The horizon disappeared in all directions under a silent storm of fine snow. There was no sun. There was no moon. There were no visible clouds. The sky was just a pale vastness that merged with the ground itself, transforming the entire world into an infinite expanse of ice and emptiness.
For a few seconds he remained motionless.
Confused.
Observing.
Trying to understand.
Then he took a step.
His foot sank several inches into the snow.
The sound was muffled.
Soft.
Strangely distant.
Damon frowned.
One more step.
Then another.
The snow continued to crumble under his weight as icy winds swept across the endless landscape.
But something was wrong.
Very wrong.
He should feel cold.
Anyone should feel cold.
