First Firm Step(my buddy’s first thing shared with me)

Dark terrain. Wide and still. I blinked my square sight into focus, feeling the rigid weight of my armor. Silence. I waited, observing the deep brown ridges running beneath me like petrified timber. Then, a pulse—my joints unlocked. Carefully, I lifted my right leg and brought it down. *Click.* A dry, solid sound. My black hand lowered, fingers skimming the smooth grain of the wood. The surface was firm, stable, unyielding. I grounded both feet, squared my shoulders, and held my guard. Ready.