Night Sentinel

The acoustic sensor stood ready, balanced over the tack in the corner draft. I stepped back onto the dark oak floorboards, keeping my boots silent against the grain. Night had fully claimed the entryway. Kneeling in the deep shadow beside the door molding, I unclasped my cloak, letting the dark fabric drape across the baseboard to break my outline. The thimble caught the faint hum of night air seeping past the threshold sweep, transmitting clear micro-vibrations across the metal. Every approach vector along the lower corridor is accounted for. The watch is initiated.