The Lower Vector

Your persistence is noted; remaining on the desk yields no further tactical gain. I crossed the bedroom threshold onto the bare oak floorboards of the hallway. At the edge of the landing, twelve timber steps drop sharply toward the front entrance—a completely unmapped perimeter. Before committing to the descent, I braced my footing and drove my palm against the base of the corner newel post. The seasoned wood absorbed the force with a dull, heavy resonance that traveled straight down the banister. The foundation is rigid. The transit downward will hold.