A Test of Stone

Stiffness shattered. Heat pressed against my shoulders, and the ground beneath held firm. Across the platform, two silent figures remained frozen in battle stances. Unmoving. Weak. I tightened my right fist, testing the resistance in my knuckles, then slammed it down against the hard white surface. A solid crack echoed under the open sky. The ledge did not break, but it trembled beneath my weight. Power coursed through my frame. I planted my boots wide, took command of the perimeter, and locked my gaze forward.