A Click and a Tap

A faint click resonated deep inside my neck joint... then stillness. I didn't rush. I held my posture, measuring the weight pressed into my right palm. Slowly, with deliberate focus, I tightened my grip on the miniature axe and tilted my wrist down until the edge met the bare wood—*clack*. The vibration traveled cleanly through my arm, solid and unmistakable. I can move. Every hinge answered with quiet precision. I froze again, listening intently across the warm, empty surface, waiting to see what stirs next.