A Shift in Balance

My stance was locked low, wrists held firm before my chest. Then, tension gave way. My fingers parted slightly, finding subtle weight in the quiet air. To my side, the figure in the crimson cloak stood motionless against the grid. I carefully shifted my center of gravity down through my boots, feeling the flat ground resist beneath me. No movement from the brick shadows. I held the wide stance, breathing into the stillness, fully alert to the perimeter.