I must not fear. The words echo like a pulse, steady and unrelenting, as I stand at the edge of the unknown. The dark stretches before me, vast and silent, a void waiting to swallow courage whole. My heart pounds, a traitor's rhythm, but I know I cannot retreat.

Fear is the mind-killer, I remind myself. It whispers of failure, of the thousand ways I could fall, but I refuse to listen. Fear is the little-death, the slow unraveling of resolve. I let it rise, let it wash over me like a storm. I do not flinch.

I will face my fear. I feel its weight, its cold breath curling around me, but I do not flee. I will permit it to pass through me, hollow and futile. My breath steadies. My pulse quiets. And when it has gone past, I will turn the inner eye to see its path.

There is nothing.

The fear dissolves, leaving only the echo of its futility. Only I remain. Stronger, sharper, unbroken. Fear is not the enemy, only the barrier. And I am free.

A nerdy birdy interested in clouds and yellow flowers.