We learned to breathe in muddy water, face down, side by side. No big speeches about honor, just a look that said: I’ll stay. If you went down, I dropped with you ’til we both could stand again. That’s where I learned what it means to put someone before my gain. Now it’s logins, screens and hallways, soft chairs, hard empty eyes. You say “team” and watch the exits, you say “care” and practise lies. You sell trust for one promotion, leave your people when it burns. You call that “moving like a pro” – I call it breaking every word we learned. I know what loyal used to mean, you call it "soft" and "too much to risk". I know what brotherhood means, you turn your back and call it "team". Old code in a cold new world, you praise the ones who cut and turn. I'm still built to pull you through – This world has no idea what that costs to do. You call it weak. I call it real. You call it risk. I call it what we owe. Old code. Wrong world. Old code. I won't let it go.
