The Dream-Bound Staircase

Every village child feared the staircase in the woods. It appeared only when someone dreamed of leaving home. A restless boy climbed it one night and found himself rising through layers of clouds, each step revealing a forgotten want: freedom, love, courage. At the top stood a door. Instead of opening it, he sat and watched the sunrise above the world. When he finally descended, the staircase dissolved into mist. People noticed he walked differently — as if he had already seen where he was meant to go.