Vertical 9:16 video, raw smartphone footage, filmed handheld on an iPhone by an amateur — visible micro-shake, slightly tilted framing, brief autofocus hunting at the start. Deep focus, everything sharp, no shallow depth of field, no bokeh. A pair of well-worn brown leather hiking boots, heavily soaked: dark water stains creeping up the leather, mud splatters up to the ankle, swollen dirty laces, a small puddle forming on a cheap ribbed doormat. Cramped, lived-in German apartment hallway: shoe rack with other shoes, jackets hanging on wall hooks, radiator, scuffed white walls. Flat, unflattering mixed lighting — grey daylight from a window plus a warm ceiling bulb, slightly overexposed near the window. Dull, unedited colors, no color grading, no cinematic look, not slow motion, real-time speed. A hand reaches in and squeezes the soaked boot tongue, water visibly seeping out. Audio: rain against the window, radiator ticking, wet squelch, an annoyed sigh.