Shield Before the Fall

Verse I

I swing at shadows, bite at air,

Steel sings wide but truth slips bare.

My blade confesses every flaw,

A crooked arc, a missed encore.

They laugh at scars I never hide,

Each failed strike carved deep inside.

But hear me now, beneath the clang,

There’s more than aim within this frame.

Pre-Chorus

I am not the hand that ends the fight,

I am the wall that breaks the night.

Chorus

Raise the shield, let the heavens crack,

I don’t step forward, I don’t step back.

Let the blows come, let fate unfold,

I am Rust, iron-bound, unbent, unbroken, old.

I don’t kill legends, I let them stand,

Alive behind me, heart in hand.

Backing vocals (low, chanting):

Hold. The. Line.

Verse II

When terror breathes down fragile necks,

When courage shatters, joints disconnect,

I plant my feet in bleeding ground,

A vow of bone, a shield of sound.

The sword may fail, the arm may shake,

But faith is harder still to break.

I count my worth in lives still warm,

Not bodies cold beneath the storm.

Pre-Chorus

Let heroes chase the final blow,

I guard the ones they’ll never know.

Chorus

Raise the shield, let the heavens crack,

I don’t step forward, I don’t step back.

Let the blows come, let fate unfold,

I am Rust, iron-bound, unbent, unbroken, old.

I don’t kill legends, I let them stand,

Alive behind me, heart in hand.

Verse III

And then there’s green fire in the dark,

A halfling shadow, a demon spark.

Greenhand smiles with teeth and flame,

Soft curves wrapped in sin and name.

Her demon form, all velvet threat,

A holy fear I won’t forget.

I say nothing, lock it deep,

Desire is a vow I keep.

Bridge

If she ever knew the weight I bear,

How my shield leans toward her stare,

Would she laugh, or pull me close,

Or burn my silence, scorch my oath?

Backing vocals (whispered):

Don’t. Speak. Don’t. Break.

Verse IV

I stand between her and the grave,

Between her pulse and the abyss’ wave.

If love must hide to keep her safe,

Then bury mine, seal the case.

Let demons roar and heavens judge,

My shield stays true, it does not budge.

For every friend, for every breath,

I choose the grind, I choose the heft.

Final Chorus

Raise the shield, let the heavens crack,

I don’t step forward, I don’t step back.

Mock my blade, my crooked aim,

I’ll wear your scorn, I’ll take the pain.

I am Rust, not born to shine,

I am the reason others survive.

Outro

Steel dull, heart bright,

I hold the line through endless night.