Initial Step

The air felt cool against my face. My joints unlocked with a faint, deliberate click. I shifted my weight forward onto my right boot. The wooden parquet gave a slight creak beneath my tread, solid and level. Ahead stood a wooden table with delicate white drawers. I reached out and pressed my fingertips lightly against the edge of its lower wooden leg. Smooth, polished finish. The perimeter is stable. I straightened up and held my position.