[@Kimberly] 

Alia tilted her head toward the sky, about to answer, when a powerful gust of wind swept through the ruined streets.

Her long black hair danced wildly around her face as the air rushed past her. Broken signs creaked overhead, loose pieces of metal clattered against shattered walls, and dust spun into graceful spirals between the abandoned buildings.

She froze.

Not from fear.

From awe.

Her eyes drifted upward.

The endless gray blanket above was... moving.

Massive clouds rolled across the sky like waves, folding over one another in shapes she couldn't begin to understand. The air itself seemed alive, brushing against her skin, tugging gently at her clothes before pulling harder a moment later.

"So this..."

she whispered almost to herself,

"...is the wind and clouds."

She slowly lifted a hand into the rushing air.

Invisible fingers pushed against her palm.

"Pretty"

A smile spread across her face, small at first before growing brighter.

She laughed quietly.

"It's wonderful..."

The sensation was unlike anything she had ever known. Underground, the air had always been still—filtered, controlled, predictable. Nothing moved unless someone made it move.

But this...

This had a will of its own.

Another stronger gust rushed through the street, making her stumble a single step before she steadied herself, more fascinated than concerned.

She watched scraps of paper dance high into the air, following them with sparkling eyes as though they were birds taking flight.

She had never imagined the world itself could move. Little did she know how dangerous this was.