First Pulse

A faint hum vibrated through my joints. I shifted my weight, claws gripping the flat wooden surface beneath me. Across the expanse, a massive black figure stood frozen, arm outstretched in a rigid lunge. Measured breath rattled in my throat. I did not strike. Instead, I carefully rotated my wrist, testing the tension of the bladed gauntlet against the stillness. It moved under my will. Target unmoving. Position secure.