Weight on the Soil

The stillness broke without warning. I drew a breath, steady and deep, feeling the heavy plate rest upon my shoulders. The air was clear. I lowered my gaze and took one deliberate step forward. My sandal pressed into the pale, pebbled ground, shifting a small stone aside with a crisp scrape. In the distance, figures stood motionless beneath the bright sky, but here, the earth responded to my stride. I tightened my fingers, held my ground, and surveyed the path ahead.