The sun was already climbing high when Jayden stirred awake. The faint hum of morning birds filtered through the cracked window, slicing through the silence of his dim room.
For a moment, he just lay there, eyes half-open, muscles still aching from the night before. His body felt like a mountain of lead, heavy and sore, but in a satisfying way.. the kind of fatigue earned through power and carnage.
He rolled onto his side and groaned softly, rubbing his neck. "Guess I overdid it again…" he muttered under his breath.
The memories from last night replayed in flashes… the cries of the beasts, the thunder of his fists, the crunch of bones. The forest still echoed inside his mind. But that was the thing about Jayden.. no matter how violent the night, the morning always demanded routine.
