4. After the Storm (Acoustic Piano & Cello Version)

[Intro – solo piano, slow tempo] [Verse 1 – intimate] The rain has washed the dust away The sky is opening wide Broken branches on the ground But hope is still alive [Cello enters softly] [Verse 2 – gentle build] I can see the light returning Through the clouds that held me down Every scar becomes a story Every loss a crown [Pre-Chorus – slight swell] What tried to shake my soul Didn’t take control [Chorus – emotional but restrained] After the storm There’s a brighter dawn You were with me all along When the night was long After the storm I can finally see What was meant to break me Was shaping me [Instrumental – piano + cello dialogue] [Bridge – stripped, vulnerable] You were there in the thunder You were there in the rain Now I stand in the sunlight And I’ll praise Your name [Soft Reprise – quieter than before] After the storm There’s a brighter dawn Even in the darkest night You were holding on [Outro – very soft, slowing tempo] After the storm… I am home [Piano slows, cello sustains final note, natural fade]