"Stairway to Self"

I open my eyes and stand at the edge of a vast staircase. It descends so deep that the end is not visible. The steps are made of glowing stone, shimmering in blue and white. The air is clear and quiet, as if the whole world is holding its breath. I take a step forward and begin to descend. Each step vibrates slightly, as if testing me. The lower I go, the warmer the air becomes. Little lights appear around me, resembling fireflies. They flutter nearby but never touch me, as if respecting boundaries. Halfway down, the staircase abruptly ends, and a bridge appears before me. It is thin, like a thread, but I feel it is sturdy. Below lies a vast abyss filled with mist. Shadows move in the fog, resembling enormous beings, but they do not rise up. I walk across the bridge, and ahead, an arch of light emerges. As I pass beneath it, the world transforms. I find myself in a hall with no walls. Instead of walls, there is a moving sky. It shifts from blue to purple, then is covered with golden clouds. In the center of the hall stands a table. On the table lies a glass sphere. Inside the sphere, a small whirlwind of light spins slowly. I take the sphere in my hands. It is heavy and warm. As soon as I look into it, the whirlwind transforms into an image. I see myself. But not as in a mirror. A version of myself that is calmer, more confident, brighter. He looks at me, nods, and places his hand on the glass from the inside. I bring my palm closer, and our hands align. The sphere begins to crumble into glowing pieces that rise up and vanish. The hall dissolves. I am back on the staircase. But now it leads upward. I ascend, and with each step, the feeling of lightness intensifies. The air becomes brighter. Then everything disappears, as if someone turned off the light, leaving only a pleasant warmth in my chest.