The morning after his return from Nyx's inner world was different. For the first time in what felt like weeks, Alex woke up to sunlight rather than the oppressive weight of shadows pressing against his chest. His body, despite its inhumane regenerative ability and hardened physique, carried an exhaustion that no amount of healing could erase. It wasn't wounds that lingered — it was weariness of spirit. The repeated battles with Nyx, her silent eyes cutting deeper than her blade, had drained him in ways that sleep alone could not mend.
He lay in his bed for a long moment, staring at the faint golden hue leaking through the curtains. For once, he allowed himself to breathe without the thought of battle looming over his mind. Slowly, he sat up, stretched his limbs, and decided.
"Enough training for now… I'll take a few days off."
