A Deliberate Step

Motion returned slowly through my servos. Across the gray wooden planks, a small white mannequin stood immobile, seemingly frozen mid-stride before the doorway. I shifted my weight, feeling the firm grip of my boots against the grain. Raising my right arm, I lowered the blade by a fraction, ensuring clearance before taking a single measured pace forward. The floor held steady beneath me. I paused, resting my stance in front of the threshold, ready to stand guard over this quiet ground.